Stephen Bett

Joanne Kyger: Post-Life

So “existence” never quits, never began, never ended You see in the moment So sorry it will never be / like this again ― Post Extinction ― Joanne Kyger So “existence” never quits, that nausea again, that old chestnut15 phenomenol-ogy an old grey yid16 preceding never began, never ended we miscalculated Saint Big Bang by seconds, or was it minutes? maybe eternity? you see in the moment flash… burn out that post-life gloss light between two eternities of darkness17 hold empty freak-out bang bag So sorry it will never be / like this again ― oh • my • god shudder, beyond dizzy “God loves a cheerful giver”18 a failing liver … quiver, shiver _________________________ 15Disturbing memories of Sartre, nearly 50 years out 16ITK poster on a THFC message board 17Julian Barnes 18Another death at Sunday School

Stephen Bett is a widely and internationally published Canadian poet with 24 books in print. His personal papers are archived in the “Contemporary Literature Collection” at Simon Fraser University. His website is stephenbett.com