It’s a risk, these clouds
gathered in the open, grow huge
take on the shape they need
though once inside this jar
escape is impossible
-you collect a cloud whose mist
no one studies anymore, comes
from a time rain was not yet the rain
pressing against your forehead
and your mouth too has aged
coming from nowhere to open
as some mountainside
believed by all the experts
too high for predators
or a dirt that devours
"Dragon"
even its place to hide in flowers
yet you will date the jar
for their scent and later on.
____
The Poet: Simon Perchik is an attorney whose poems have appeared in Partisan Review, The Nation, The New Yorker, and elsewhere. For more information, including free e-books, his essay titled “Magic, Illusion and Other Realities” and a complete bibliography, please visit his website at www.simonperchik.com.
The Artist: Daniel Ayles is a Portland, Oregon-based artist whose work bridges the gap between the genres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. Examples of his art can be found in the 2012 August issue of The Horror Zine.
