Interstitial
You want to read
my body of work.
There is no body.
There are just
parts: neck,
shoulder,
hip, calf.
Parts do not
make a body.
Parts attached
make a body.
So what
is in between?
There is a
Chinese word—
liú bái—
which you say
as though asking
a question.
It means
to leave blank.
A space, a pause,
a moment. Not idle
but waiting
for a connection made
by an eye,
by an ear,
by a heart.
Hand, but no
holding.
Spirit, but no
song.
Pen, but no
poem.
Yet.
Click the arrow to listen to Jo read Interstitial:
Why I Like Maryland Literary Review
Maryland Literary Review is a regional journal that publishes two online issues a year that include poetry and a wide range of prose. The poetry in MLR is smart, evocative and often quirky—in the best possible meaning of that word. I check out the archives regularly, and am always delighted to see excellent work from writers I know from around the region!
