shalev smokler

I do not know if he lived but like the monsters under my bed, he was real enough to touch me. His name was Borach to me. He used to keep carp in the bathtub. He used to make sauerkraut in the closet.

        The Fisherman and I walked on. My feet ached like they did when he found me. When he found me, I could no longer remember if I had run away or was chased out.

Every vow cried to the tip of a saber,

Every soul sold to a higher or lower power,

Every road paved to lead others astray,

Is nullified.

Revoked,

When I rose, my eyes burned. It wasn't a sudden pain; it was more slow and consistent. It was as if it knew why it was there and had no intention of leaving. It knew my eyes were safe and that I couldn’t help it.