Nora Gause
It starts in the spine
razor clam cracks slicing ohms
pores electric between skin and nails,
circuitry tight in the chest and lungs
thoracic storm
hands slide barometric
dura matter dances disorder attachments
puffer fish blooms humid without a tank
poison like a lady in waiting
moray brain
foam fingers tingle
cockles muss memory creep open
Victorian girl by the seashore your
spells and fossils crumble in the crashing waves
gritty pearl rotten weather
***
A caterer and personal chef in Seattle, Nora Gause (non-binary she/they) loves the moment between click and woosh when a gas range lights. She thinks a lot about limerence, family histories, identities, and justice, and suspects that poems and recipes are spells in disguise. She has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Russian Language from Goucher College.