HOST

What do we need that I cannot make

out of paper? Let’s do a trial run

in the physical world. The speed of information

is faster than our neuro-systems, and I don’t think

that’s good for morale. I am a woman soldiering on

in my own home, finding proof of everything,

refining my palate despite jeers from the constant parade

of demanding hungers. When quiet technique

is not enough, I lie, slack-jawed and boiling,

next to the cat who can relate. I have a world

of concerns in need of a voice. I have a voice

in need of direction. The wonderful error

lies in our newness. I have a space to defend—

with stacks of books and tiny bottles with corked toppers

and a jar of pens and a stuffed lamb. To a point,

I must defend half the people in this world.

Caroline Cabrera is author Saint X, winner of the Hudson prize and forthcoming from Black Lawrence Press in January 2018. Her previous collections include The Bicycle Year, Flood Bloom, and the chapbook Dear Sensitive Beard. She lives in South Florida.