appealing

The Maynard
Fall 2020

Kristi Maxwell

Okapi

—a lipogram

un—verse, un—verse                     hurt clusters, sewn—sutured

we were the end’s veneers, yet                  even the end deserted us

chewed by nettles, deterred by reeds, we relented

we were the merest museum we’d ever shuttered

the smuggest event-less venue

sweet segments were squeezed, but we were unquenched

newly geysered, curfew blew

cement—the newer flesh—crumbled

meters were fed, but we weren’t

Everest-leery, buddy-led, we centers turned edges

we shelters turned chutes