SUNLIGHT IS THE BEST DISINFECTANT
by Jeneva Stone
could you bring the light
“inside the body”?
(how may I
find the Light
in the midst of)
supposing we hit
the body
with a tremendous —
(darkness
of my heart,
which is so
great)
whether it’s
ultraviolet or just
very powerful light —
supposing
you brought
the light
(by its discovering
and warring
against
the darkness)
inside the body
through the skin or
some other way
(both the open
and secret
iniquity of
the corrupt Heart)
disinfectant
knocks it out
in a minute
one minute
can we do
something
like that
by injection
or almost a cleaning?
(secret misgivings
that all
is not well)
it does
a tremendous number
on the lungs
(but there may
be a flaw
in the covering)
—A found poem from Trump’s 4/23/20 press conference, and a passage (1681) from the Quaker Isaac Penington on recognizing Quakerism’s “inner light.”
-
Jeneva Stone is the author of Monster, a mixed genre collection. She has received fellowships from the MacDowell and Millay Colonies. Her poetry and essays have appeared in numerous literary journals, including Waxwing, Scoundrel Time, and APR, with work forthcoming in New England Review.
-
Email: jenevastone@gmail.com
ROOM is entirely dependent upon reader support. Please consider helping ROOM today with a tax-deductible donation. Any amount is deeply appreciated. |