A Period of Peace

Where were you when
I was deadlifting in the
Forest? Could you hear
The dog barking like a
Car alarm? How are we
To tell if we’ve broken
The fever? Fetch me
A sincere sacrifice
And I promise to stop
Screaming silently
About the afterlife.

The Sword

It snowed last nite and I saw the voice of
God in a whirlwind all around me. Thunder

Pretended to roll to and fro. The distance
Shrank smaller and smaller until I was in it,

Until I was the boom and the whirr. Despite
My aphantasia, I closed my eyes to see

Lightning strike up and down on the earth.
The wind said to me, don’t be afraid.

The Golden Bowl

I’m remodeling my home. Removing all my
Mirrors, I’ve started scratching up all my
Stainless appliances on purpose, my
White countertops, I’ve stopped wiping. I
No longer want to see a reflection in anything.
I want to trust myself again. I want to know
What’s inside. I want to be able to
Wash my hands and the water remain crystal
Clear. I’m reading again but sometimes I get
Nothing out of it. Only the same words or
Phrases over and over, like, under the sun, toil,
Vanity, and vexation. I want nothing more
Than to rid myself of vexation in the new
Time before me.




MD Wheatley is a husband, father, and poet living in Charleston, SC. He wants you to know he cares.

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