A SLOW BOILING BEACH

I swallow the worm and stagger about.

Dreams increasingly sharp and imbecilic.

You know I was beautiful. A river bent with pain. A diseased koala trapped in the eucalyptus. Disfigured with coke. A forest of burning trees. I want you exhausted and smelling my pussy off your fingers as you deliver my eulogy.

I have heard the voice of God or Jesus Christ.

The rain is coming. I just squashed a spider in the bath.

I have lived a righteous life!

The sky above me is closing.

A dagger in me.





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These three pieces by Rauan Klassnik are from A SLOW BOILING BEACH (Schism, 2019). Previous books include Holy Land (2008) and The Moon’s Jaw (2013), both from Black Ocean.