St. Elmo’s Fire.
By Christine Aletti.
“Bring the plasma of stars into the living room/and hiss the mast of the cactus/aglow with blue flame.”
Artwork by Will Beger.
Who are we to deem this good or bad?
It is just thinking
and we are
just bodies— can you read the directions?
In turbid 4 am, I sailed on sneakers
through tiny oceans just to do
what I told you
I would not—
Let our internal compasses
spin and spin;
Bring the plasma of stars into the living room
and hiss the mast of the cactus
aglow with blue flame.
The Blood Pudding – February 13, 2021
Christine Aletti has an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. Most recently, her work has appeared in The Bookends Review, The Garfield Lake Review, and Crack the Spine. A native New Yorker, she now lives in Colorado with her little dog.
Artwork: Will Beger is a color scientist. He strives for stark contrasts, doing the unexpected and putting a smile on people’s faces. You can find him and buy his work here.