to the untrained eye
starfish have no front or back
but village women know better
these days they cut stencils
from discarded x-ray plates
create whole beds of starfish
on bark cloth and cotton sheets
when you cut x-rays
they utter a peculiar cry
but starfish split silently
make more of themselves
to fill up empty spaces
something the lonely could do
By Serie Barford and used with the permission of the author. Serie was recently awarded the Seresin Landfall Residency.
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