Rachael Inciarte
- the horse is a vigilant animal—
dark of teeth, leap of limb
nightfall finds roadkill
somewhere a highway, carcass strewn
charcuterie of man and meat
heart inside creature,
beast inside truck
- blind,
dead nana’s eyes spoiled
like food in the hot sun
now fortune the distance
between gone and goner
we are disappeared
when we leave
- it will no longer seek death
bloodbathed knife cuts apple, red
flesh for a feast
put finger to mouth
prey, animal
learn at the elbows
to watch for sudden movements
***
Rachael Inciarte is the author of the chapbook What Kind of Seed Made You, published by Finishing Line Press and 2022 Eric Hoffer Award Honorable Mention. Their work features in Poetry Northwest, Spillway, Kestrel, and others. Rachael lives in California with family and can be found at www.rachaelinciarte.com