"Guard Tower, Suran" by Ethan Vilu

Guard Tower, Suran

Such dull notes
in this sad, humble station —

the tapestries, drab and generic;
the hallways, dust’s library;
the bedposts slashed with dream-rot,
the papers pitched, dagger-clipped to shreds —

and yet on some nights, when one stands
at the dockworks, this dim home
becomes glow-struck, blanketed with awe.

That strange orb, blood-red and sacred
makes its roost upon the tower,
and this town becomes the heavens’ lordly flare.

Ethan Vilu

Ethan Vilu (they/she) is a poet and editor from Calgary, Canada. Their longsheet, “A Decision Re: Zurich,” was published by The Blasted Tree in 2020, and their poems and reviews have been featured in a variety of outlets. Ethan currently serves as both poetry editor and circulation manager for Filling Station Magazine.

Headshot: Deb Allatt

Photo Credit: Staff