Pulped by Susan Tepper

All theories of madness pulped

‘til pits floated in the liquid

undrinkable—

the off-color of piss. No formulation 

we could figure out 

as the thing darkened by the minute

we sank further in the muck—

around us a stink.

Rot and decay like cheese

not cured to mold. 

Father, I prayed,

in my rusty way, 

what beast has set upon the earth?

Susan Tepper is the author of nine published books of fiction and poetry. Her two most recent titles are CONFESS (poetry from Cervena Barva Press, 2020) and a road novel WHAT DRIVES MEN (Wilderness House Press, 2019) that was shortlisted at American Book Fest. Other honors and awards include eighteen Pushcart Prize Nominations, a Pulitzer Nomination by Cervena Barva Press for the novel ‘What May Have Been’ (re-written for adaptation as a stage play to open in NY next year), shortlisted in Zoetrope Contest for the Novel (2003), NPR’s Selected Shorts for ‘Deer’ published in American Letters & Commentary (ed. Anna Rabinowitz), Second Place Winner in StorySouth Million Writers Award, Best of 17 Years of Vestal Review and more. Tepper is a native New Yorker. www.susantepper.com