Please, please
do not— 
I told you I was kind
and you pointed towards  
a cave—I said I wanted
a lamb. Carve  
your words first,
then splay—nothing  
but expectation…
An ember, a wheel, a toy— 
Beyond the whirr
of this year’s cicadas 
the strike of one voice
sinking, sinks… 
Translation: this
is not nuisance or spoil 
but gift. Even the lantern
has limits. 

translation

lauren goodwin slaughter