A Gathering of the Tribes

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Tsaurah Litzky

Law of Infinite Moons


There’s another moon behind the moon, 
and another moon behind that moon, 
and another one behind that one 
and on and on ad infinitum. 
Isn’t that the idea of the universe?
Isn’t that what makes the universe universal?
Isn’t that some kind of physics, the moons go on forever, 
forever and forever, the law of infinite moons?
Even if it’s not a physical law, a universal physical law,
it’s what I believe, have to believe, because
on one of those moons I will meet you again and this 
time I won’t mess it up, won’t say no when I mean yes.
I have to believe this. I have to. It is my sustaining dream,
it keeps me alive. One day you will put your hand
on my breast and I won’t push it away, one day I will move 
your hand down between my legs, my whole body will
open to you in a giant Yes-Yes-Yes and then we will be happy.
I bet there are other women like me who have my dream, 
of seeing a moon behind the moon,
other solitary women like me sitting on the subway 
reading the New Yorker, wearing careful make-up to hide
the marks of loneliness time has etched on their faces, 
but then I don’t know, I’ll never know,
we lonely women don’t talk about it.

Death Wish


To orgasm at the
point of death,
that is my wish,
to come into the great hereafter
like a shooting star,
sparks flying everywhere
beyond somewhere and nowhere,
sparks illuminating all negative space
like striking a match on the foot of God.
My ions disintegrate cascade accolade
embrace the placeless place 
beyond storms or clouds,
the ultimate detox, the infinite,
the everlasting grace.

 Tsaurah Litzky, a multi-faceted author writes poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, plays and commentary. Her poetry collections include Baby on the Water (Long Shot), Cleaning The Duck (Bowery Books) and ten poetry chapbooks, most recently Full Lotus (NightBallet Press). Her writing has appeared in over seventy publications including Best American Erotica, (eight times), New York Times, Penthouse, Long Shot, Tribes 12, Politically Inspired, Brooklyn Rail, Outlaw Bible of American Poetry, Crimes of the Beats, Unbearables, Mom Egg Review, Bowery Women. Simon and Shuster published her erotic novella, The Motion Of The Ocean as part of  Three The Hard Way a series of erotic novellas edited by Susie Bright. Her memoir, Flasher: A Memoir, was published by Autonomedia. She is currently working on Beneath Brooklyn Bridge, a new poetry collection, and a book of short stories titled Dead Lovers. Tsaurah is a long time resident of the Brooklyn waterfront. She can see the Statue of Liberty, icon of free people everywhere from her kitchen windows.