Sanjeev Sethi
ELBOWROOM
Aureoles of anxiety shame my sense of self:
I choose the comfort of my inner chamber,
happy to be within horizons. Unknown to me
this haphazardness has stencils I need to scrutinize.
In a sense, we are all Oreos: perks of pooling,
or Penguin-like in ghettos of gild or snow. Essence
of amalgamation is exchange and evolution.
Learned, after fastening cleats with laces of lore.
PETER’S PENCE
Unwittingly we allowed ourselves to be
in trophic skeins: giving never was easy.
We lived with lagniappes till love vailed
us. Handsel has existed as long as history
remembers. Quid pro quo is humanity’s
anthem. Variations: in essence and extent.
MULCT
The morningtide took me to task by blacking
emotional cartographies with the leak of your
obituary. Orchestration by mourning doves
phrased my disposition. Later euphonies of
our time surged with sugar-ladden secretions
pushing me to key another shtick.
CONFABULATIONS
Jouska has me on my unconnected
cordless. In this version you’re soft
sensitive, spur me to ventilate. I’ve
nothing to say. I cut off my already
severed line, happy you’re eager to
hear me out.
Sanjeev Sethi is the author of three well-received books of poetry. His most recent collection is This Summer and That Summer (Bloomsbury, 2015). His poems are in venues around the world: Morphrog 14, Bindweed Magazine, 3:AM Magazine, Skylight 47 Poetry, Peacock Journal, Rasputin, The Tower Journal, Red Fez, The Penmen Review, Treehouse, Synesthesia Literary Journal, Section 8 Magazine, and elsewhere. He lives in Mumbai, India.
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ELBOWROOM
Aureoles of anxiety shame my sense of self:
I choose the comfort of my inner chamber,
happy to be within horizons. Unknown to me
this haphazardness has stencils I need to scrutinize.
In a sense, we are all Oreos: perks of pooling,
or Penguin-like in ghettos of gild or snow. Essence
of amalgamation is exchange and evolution.
Learned, after fastening cleats with laces of lore.
PETER’S PENCE
Unwittingly we allowed ourselves to be
in trophic skeins: giving never was easy.
We lived with lagniappes till love vailed
us. Handsel has existed as long as history
remembers. Quid pro quo is humanity’s
anthem. Variations: in essence and extent.
MULCT
The morningtide took me to task by blacking
emotional cartographies with the leak of your
obituary. Orchestration by mourning doves
phrased my disposition. Later euphonies of
our time surged with sugar-ladden secretions
pushing me to key another shtick.
CONFABULATIONS
Jouska has me on my unconnected
cordless. In this version you’re soft
sensitive, spur me to ventilate. I’ve
nothing to say. I cut off my already
severed line, happy you’re eager to
hear me out.
Sanjeev Sethi is the author of three well-received books of poetry. His most recent collection is This Summer and That Summer (Bloomsbury, 2015). His poems are in venues around the world: Morphrog 14, Bindweed Magazine, 3:AM Magazine, Skylight 47 Poetry, Peacock Journal, Rasputin, The Tower Journal, Red Fez, The Penmen Review, Treehouse, Synesthesia Literary Journal, Section 8 Magazine, and elsewhere. He lives in Mumbai, India.