I tie an apron tight around my waist
and enter into Hephaestus’ forge.
Sundry steams swell – hissing hot and sharp
in breath and slicing, searing, cut the flesh
straight true, exposing bloodied bones and marrow
– sever sinews which make us move – station
to station …
Poem, in its entirety, is available in the printed version of the current issue.
Bio:
Matthew Rooney is a poet, visual artist, and short story writer. He is currently pursuing his PhD at the University of Western Ontario, where he acts as the content editor of the Word Hoard. His poetry has appeared in the Antigonish Review, Canadian Literature, Newfoundland Quarterly, and Biblioasis’s 2021 anthology Best Canadian Poetry. His short stories have been published in the Lamp and other periodicals.