Gently hold whatever arises,
and when you’re ready,
let it go:Ghost telephones from distant shores,
the rise of bile in the throat,
rattlesnake venom coursing through the dog.Observing the fluctuations of the mind, i saw:
vertical sperm whales stacked seven layers deep.
The ribbon worm’s proboscis
rhizoming half the length of a man’s arm;
white tree root toxins stake their claim.Clouds drift as they must,
rattlesnake venom courses through the dog.
You crawl through the desert on your knees,
gently hold whatever arises,
let it go:
Nikki Reimer (she/they) is a multimedia artist and writer, and chronically ill neurodivergent prairie settler currently living in Mohkinstsis (Calgary). She has been involved with art and writing communities, primarily in Calgary and Vancouver, for over 20 years. They are the author of four books of poetry and multiple essays on grief. GRIEFWAVE, a multimedia, web-based, extended elegy, was published in February 2022. No Town Called We will be out with Talonbooks in the fall. Visit reimerwrites.com
