1.03.2021

how good it feels to play at this, violence and darkness, the beast that harbors something sweet

                                    Might night right sight? 
                                                             —Andrew Joron 

The first thing she did after we blindfolded her 
and turned her in circles by her shoulders 

was lunge 
for where she thought her target hung 
 
and hit tree trunk instead, with one strike 
against it split the stick 
 
in half to jagged dagger 
in her 

fists. The donkey gently swayed 
within reach, barely grazed 
 
and staring straight ahead with the conviction 
inherent to its kind at the horizon 
 
that a gaze 
implies,

paper mane fluttering in the breeze of a near miss, 
belly ballasted with melting chocolate kisses, 
 
drawn grin belying its 
thingness, rictus 
 
of ritual and craft. She's grinning 
too, and laughing, regaining 
 
her balance, 
planting her feet in a samurai stance. 
 
She brandishes her splinter. 
There's no harm in letting her 
 
take another turn 
without turning 
 
her around again. 
We think we know how this ends, 
 
how good it feels to play at this, 
violence and darkness, 
 
the beast 
that harbors something sweet. 
 
[Dora Malech {1981- }, 'Party Games', originally printed in The Hopkins Review]

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