An Ode to the Demise of the Wake
by A.H. Jerriod Avant
amid the spirit-ridden 聽 believers
believin鈥� they鈥檝e been聽 聽 in the storm
too long聽 聽 are the years between
which feel more brief聽 聽 than years have
ever聽 聽 movin鈥� beneath our feet聽 聽 grief is
not a bed of nails聽 聽 but the bed of nails
is grief聽 聽 it is a taste for the vanished
scattered聽 聽 through a desert聽 聽 of emotion
It is less concerned with聽 聽 the forlorn
but the bare reach for聽 聽 what is no
longer there聽 聽 So I be trynna keep
somethin鈥� physical around聽 聽 A 73rd
birthday ring聽 聽 capped off by citrine
and silver聽 聽 deep as fall聽 聽 is willing
to fall聽 聽 And when the spirits聽 聽 nudge
they feel聽 聽 no different聽 聽 than flesh
They鈥檒l say somethin鈥櫬� 聽 the people
who believe sing聽 聽 Satan聽 聽 we gon tear
your kingdom down聽 聽 Down
Yo鈥� kingdom聽 聽 is comin鈥� down.
.听
.听
A.H. Jerriod Avant was born and raised in Longtown, Mississippi. His first book, Muscadine, received the 2024 Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award in poetry. He has received two winter fellowships from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and an emerging-artist grant from the St. Botolph Club Foundation of Boston. A former John and Ren茅e Grisham Writer-in-Residence, Avant is currently a University of Mississippi visiting assistant professor of English and creative writing.