Andrew Topel


assassin

looking through the scope of a high-powered assault rifle
twenty-six shells/alphabullets loaded into the clip 
locate the target          steady the breath      finger finds the trigger/hammer and squeezes off a shot
the images in assassin are black-and-white photographs of murder scenes
hand-written black as the depths of night striking      skull-crushing daydreams
that seep through my fingers and out onto the page      a chess match
i versus myself – the western traditions i know lined up on one side
against the eastern traditions that fascinate me      symbols of thought
intertwined & overlapped      the roman alphabet clashes/crashes with
the calligraphy of the east      bloodless assassinations on paper

assassin (cont'd)

 
 
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