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.”
![](http://thebloodpudding.com/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/4475421-MPCAQVLW-7-1-p2t0zpxz99r6a1ftr8vo5hmd4yxa9afwpb17jnotts.jpg)
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.