Written by Kaveh Akbar
Illustrations by W. Akbar

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Mother fingers in the mud.
Mother begging bowl.
Mother lace-weaver drumming her web, babies
eating her whole. Bleachable mother. Mother apron
smeared with flour. Mother flower. Mother Florida,

the wet bone. The marble throne. Mother sent back.
Mother bent back curling like script. Mother depended
on light. Mother? Depends on the night.

Mother for whom the whole sky.

Mother hiding in the curtains, humming too loud.
Maggot mother at the shroud. Mother thought it possible.
Mother was wrong. Mothersong. Our Lady Mother of Wet Beds

and Aggressive Disgrace. Mother persimmon, name sounds
the way she tastes. Mother with all of creation fattening.
Mother who held on while it was happening.

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Kaveh Akbar is, most recently, the author of Martyr!, his first novel. He's also the author of Calling a Wolf a Wolf, and the chapbook, Portrait of the Alcoholic.

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