A Grim Recipe for Sugared Bread The few stragglers,three if that’s a fewwould call the rest of the family soonto let them know she’d completed her final breath,that one they’d beenwaiting for with onlysomewhat bated breath. Maybe it was the durationof the slow fade to death.Maybe some expectedsomething else.Maybe it was multi-factorial. Maybe wonder filled the roomabout who was worse, and whywhen less than fiveseconds of awkwardnessensuedbefore the eldest son spoke:Now we can eat all we want,of the bread with sugarfrom her pantry.
a seasonal resource, icesickles formthreaten warmangles obtusely intothawing ground, into springinto actionweaponizes water,rises to the tippingoffabout how it brings lifefloods
Who made the statue art? A tree I seewith branches even-spread’bout the stout trunkwhile leaves are falling dead A metal stature-headso bastardlyRound, bolar hat; Breadththe oval chunk. Restore what’s diedbecame, be gone besidesbecome the previousbustby losing yourbranches meltyourself inkilns evaporating intocold lifelessproductsthat are eternal, thingsyou’ve made with your time,resurfaced The reasons; all your seasoningtrying to provewhat have you donewith each later-foundring on the trunkWith each, laterthing that becomes,once used,toMatter.
Sam was born in Canada, is of Lebanese heritage, and works in Iowa as an orthopedic surgeon. He writes part-time and prefers topics of nature, existentialism, social justice, emotion, heritage, memory... He's had over 30 publications so far of his poetry & prose in Snapdragon, Decomp, Tiny Seed, Rigorous, Burnt Pine, Weasel, Tower, Wingless Dreamer, and others. In 2020, he was a finalist in Vallum's poetry contest, and Iron Horse's year-end ekphrastic challenge as well as their prose chapbook contest. He also sees literary value in his previous scientific publications, although the language there is in part statistical - he's okay with that because he definitely 'speaks math' as well as loving wordplay and concept-rich poetry. Facebook page reading: Sam Kaspar the writer @MightySamster