Lethal Things - By Mara Lemanis
Lethal Things
I wash my hands
like a surgeon
launching operations
for defense;
like an engineer
massing armies
to secure my space
on earth running
out of space,
holding fast
against an arsenal
my engineer can’t see
that freely infiltrates
the legions on patrol
between my fingers,
bowed under
trackless winds
that ride on breath
exhaled from labs
on tap before
the birth of time;
they sweep the sea
raising sands that lie
beneath like corpses
streaked with veins
of sentient things
and break impatient
through the tide,
charging at staid shores
speeding to incarnate
carnal things,
hungry to be known,
to germinate
dreams of home;
crushing my armies
they erupt with joy
landing in hands
washed or unwashed;
with raw zest
they steal my breath
as forfeit
to live the life of
lethal things.
–Mara Lemanis
Mara Lemanis
Biography: Mara Lemanis is a literary scholar. Her essays have been selected for 20th CENTURY LITERARY CRITICISM and are included in undergraduate student textbooks in the U.S.
She has worked as an archivist for Historical Preservation and with the IRC, assisting refugees in Oakland, California.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions expressed within this guest article are those of the author Mara Lemanis alone and do not represent those of the Marbella Marbella website. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to Mara Lemanis and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with the author.
