various tragedies
deaths, maimings, etc.
and all general
melodrama
are to occur
at intervals
on the timepiece
with seven seconds
between the beats
ready?
no, I didn’t think so
the new ones are always so unsteady
well, just hold on
stand fast
(the bridge will tilt, darling)
and try real hard
not to grit your teeth
watch out that those
garish tentacles
all twitchy-and-tangled
don’t grab at your ankles
and don’t get trapped
or snatched
in metal gears as they
spin-and-sputter, industriously
at your feet
(and God forbid you start to weep)
believe me, Dear Heart
you won’t want Them
to think you’re weak
 |
| Gretchen Tessmer is a writer based in the U.S./Canadian borderlands. She writes both short fiction and poetry, with work appearing in such venues as Nature, Strange Horizons, Cast of Wonders, Daily Science Fiction and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, as well as previous appearances in Kaleidotrope. |