Do plumb, do leeward sink
into peat toward playback, go down
as far as possible, beneath the hurled
grudge-worm to the slime-dank
apostrophe, the core’s crepuscular gem where,
the glistening superlative, the Key of M
resides—Mother Score, if the key goes turn,
and the dark absence creaks ajar,
is there a chance we’ll glimpse
Madame La Fleurie in the mirror?
Originally from Michigan, Carol Durak lived in various parts of the country before settling in Maine, where, aside from writing, she made a living in book conservation, restoration, and fine binding. In 2019, she left the East Coast and now lives in northern New Mexico.