Issue #54


Authors

The Drifter

Page 1 of “The Drifter”: pen-and-ink illustration of a small boat with yellow lights on a swirling white sea, under a starry black sky with handwritten words as transcribed below.

transcript:

A FIT, AN ABSOLUTE WHIRLWIND OF CALM
THESE DOLDRUMS ARE THE QUIET, BREATHLESS
LULL OF THE SEA
AN INTERIOR THAT IS VOID OF THE
DENSITY OF A VOID

EVEN A BLACK HOLE HAS MASS
THIS, NOW, IS WEIGHTLESS

IT IS NOT A REST SO MUCH AS A RESTLESSNESS
AND I AM IN A DEEP STATE OF WANTING

CRAVING A RUSTLING OF MY HAIR BY A BREEZE
OR A TOSSING OF A TEMPEST

BETTER TO BE OVERTURNED BY A SWELL THAN LEFT TO LANGUISH

Page 2 of “The Drifter”: pen-and-ink illustration of the same swirling white sea and starry black sky as page 1, but without the boat. Handwritten words in the sky are transcribed below.

transcript:

MY HORIZONS ARE OUT OF SIGHT
I WISH I BELIEVED IN GOD

Page 3 of “The Drifter”: pen-and-ink illustration of a thin, naked person floating among the starry black sky, with a few splotches of yellow ink on their body. Handwritten words above and below the person are transcribed below.

transcript:

AND YOU. YOU ARE UNREQUITED AND STEADY.
A WARM SUN IN THE QUIET OF WINTER,
THE IRON TASTE OF BLOOD BEHIND MY
TEETH AND THE GRIT OF FROZEN SOIL
PARALYZING PLANTS IN THEIR PLACE AND
BITING UPWARDS AT MY ANKLES. I
AM IN AN ELLIPSE AROUND THE
HEAVIEST, FIXED POINT IN THE
UNIVERSE

I THINK YOU ARE DAZZLING, AND YOU
WILL SURELY SWALLOW ME UP

Page 4 of “The Drifter”: pen-and-ink illustration of the corner of a room, with bright yellow light coming through a large window and landing on a chair, a teacup on the windowsill, and the walls of the room. Above the window are handwritten words a…

transcript:

AND YET THE KNOWLEDGE AND LOGIC OF
THIS INEVITABLE FAILURE DOES NOT
TOUCH YOU, AND I WANT TO CALL
YOU AND HEAR YOU SAY HOW YOU
MISS YOUR FAMILY, AND HOW YOUR BEDROOM
LOOKS BATHED IN A SUNRISE.

Page 5 of “The Drifter”: pen-and-ink illustration of raging white waves crashing into a tall island surrounded by cliffs. Perched on the island is a house with yellow light in the windows, next to handwritten words as transcribed below.

transcript:

ISN’T A STEADY DETERIORATION
SOMETHING LIKE AN EMBRACE?
CONSISTENT, PRESENT, TRUE.
PERHAPS THE WAVE THROWS
ITSELF AGAINST THE SHORE
AGAIN AND AGAIN IN
ORDER TO PROMISE FOREVER.
I DO LOVE YOU AND I’M
HERE, HERE, HERE.

 

[S]kin

Heisenberg