Jeff Bagato

The Earth Remains Flat

                         the earth remains flat in some 
            minds, and that’s enough 
                                     to join us to such 
                            illusions for this 
                  hard hour

                                   science has no matter 
                                          in so saying,
                        where fear holds
                                              fact hostage

                               at the edge—as if land
                      ends here, we fall
                                     off, too; oblivion
                                                     awaits, a virus 
                                           of the mind

                 tanks cannot stop the fall;
                                 parachutes merely slow
                                          descent;
                         try to explain and it only
                                                     makes the ground
                                     come up more firm
                                              to the eye

                                                        an antidote must 
                                           be fire—clearing
                            bramble so level 
                                    ground can accommodate
                                                new growth

                            a groan,
                    a shriek, 
                                        a sneer,
                                                    a burp—

                              the rubble of words
                   escapes us now,
                                      but we cannot escape 
                                                 this rubble,
                                  or the finer grind
                          down to dust

Jeff Bagato is a multi-media artist working with text, electronic sound, and glitch video. Poems have appeared recently in various publications including Ex-Ex-Lit, Streetcake, In Between Hangovers, Your One Phone Call, and Otoliths. Some glitch video poems, including the one above, can be found at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOxF_ShHl2u5r3ppvCpO2Xg. A blog about his writing and publishing efforts can be found at http://jeffbagato.wordpress.com.
 
 
previous page     contents     next page