Chen Chen

Quintessence: the Soul (If It Exists)

Ajar.

Aloft. Afar, afoot. Ashore,

    atop. Aflutter,

ajar, sometimes a lot.

    Then amuck,

    adrift. Afire.

Awryly aflame. Asunder,

    afucked. & closed

up, or is it down. Sometimes

    for a year,

    years. Then

afloat, aloft, ajarred afresh.

    Anewer aglow.

Astride atrue, across aflew,

    awhoevenknew:

    something in you

so never closed, forever fucking  

    abloom, in fact,

even while amiss, adoom.

    Unasleep, even

    amidst the dullest

miseries. Who knew—this life,

    this alive. Agog,

agod. Awash with vowel & you,

    committed to

    comma &

not yet, or sure, period, but then

    right away up

to go alltheway down. To stumble

    allaround for a

   

    letter, another.

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