by Alejandro Escudé
The cellphone in the mind rings.
No one there—
She cries
for the impermanence
of permanence
the way a person can climb
up on a stage
seeking wattage.
There’s no real age
for barbarism.
It haunts the elementary school
and the college;
it seeps into the corridors
of Congress.
It seeks only excess.
And is dead
to even the planned
execution
of betrayal.
The narration of a soul
is its final
dissolution.
You mustn’t give it
context.
Only the kernel
of a lasting impression
should breathe.
Alejandro Escudé published his first full-length collection of poems, My Earthbound Eye, in September 2013. He holds a master’s degree in creative writing from UC Davis and teaches high school English. Originally from Argentina, Alejandro lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.
