take a life’s substrata
categorise scrutinise elements
swim in the oil on the surface
glide through its greasy truth
choke on boned beauty the fecundity
of everything. take a mealworm
egg larva pupa imago
metamorphosis ipseity or
confusion? discuss add
likeminded arthropods slide down
the mast an elegant epiphany
shed carefully fly hard.
take a moor’s breadth or a
marsh add a microscope inspect each sedge
stem-sticky light-licked sap candy
slop brown noise rough embrace
divide by three distil. take a landscape
selfie share incautiously stop
look listen think make it macro
point a telescope at the pillars of
creation decipher
form meaning layers walnut whip
categorise emphasise elements
of a life’s substrata.
—Published 23rd of July 2023
About Kate Dent
An MA graduate with a background in London-based arts admin, Kate Dent currently lives near Stroud, Gloucestershire, where - when not writing, reading or losing track of time whilst staring up at blue-ish skies - she runs a glampsite.