wherein i admit here that some violence
or other prejudice that burbles up at the
edges of my living is of another order
than the story i’ve inscribed here on this
character of self who am i and who
am i to speak and who am i to speak for
whom emplacement first weaponry then
positioning of more neutral character but
having read from definition 1 to 2 the
meaning stuff of 1 clung and lingered
as i moved through 2 bombardier
just as i moved from male to female or
maybe something other something of
the initial imposition clung and wafted
around and alongside me assent to
come into this 3x6x7 room predicated on
the unstated idea of safeguarding my self
and world subversion of my project by 16
act of retaining isthmus to the worldself
system not unmade a safeword for a
safe poetic exercise in s&m
—
This selection comes from Zoe Tuck’s book of poetry Terror Matrix, available from Timeless, Infinite Light! Purchase your copy here!
Zoe Tuck was born in Texas, where she first encountered two of her great loves: poetry and breakfast tacos. Since relocating to the Bay Area in 2008, she has been an active member of the local literary community, working for several years at Small Press Distribution and co-curating Condensery Reading Series. Her book, Terror Matrix (2014) is available from Timeless, Infinite Light. Some of her recent work can be found in Troubling the Line: Trans and Genderqueer Poetry, as well as online in issue 18 of textsound and issue 15 of dusie. She is also a poetry reader forHOLD: a journal, a monthly blogger at Michigan Quarterly Review, and an occasional book reviewer at the Volta blog. She is currently at work on a manuscript of tarot poems called Summer Arcana. Find her at zoetuck.com or on twitter @oh_that_zoe.
Darren C. Demaree is the author of three poetry collections, As We Refer to Our Bodies (2013, 8th House), Temporary Champions (2014, Main Street Rag), and Not For Art For Prayer (2015, 8th House). He is the recipient of three Pushcart Prize nominations and a Best of the Net nomination. He is also a founding editor of Ovenbird Poetry and AltOhio. He is currently living in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and children.
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