blind judging
how to tell the story
without the names,
{my name included}?
first I make all the names
into Xs
capital crosses
the paper riddled with treasure marks
{the editor says
it’s too ex-perimental}
next I try saying
trust me
it’s a worthwhile story
but meaningless without the names
{but it’s not in an editor’s nature
to trust}
next I make the names
into big black bars
highlight each soul in black
to make it disappear
the way corrupt governments do
{now they look more like names/bodies
but maybe it’s too transparent –
you could still calculate the characters
if you were hell-bent
on unmasking the dead}
finally I go to sleep
letting the problem work itself out
in dream
{trusting my summoned ancestors
to reveal a next step
that preserves their dignity
alongside my anonymity –
they do}
