“Fasting” by Kristan LaVietes

Fasting

The bubbles of
water-spiders chuckle,
dumbfound me so I
blank. Fuck. But this
is what you want maybe.
The little dock, small
lappings. Coos for
the monster in your
stomach. Hunger-drunk, I
try to think on your
question. Something
theological. “It’s critical,"
you say. Your flip-flops
dangle, in-tight
between your toes.
God is between your

Jesus, having taken
and blessed the bread,
broke it and gave it
to the disciples,
and said, Take, eat: this
is my body.

“It’s critical.” All
I can think is,
God is proud of us
for this fasting. God
wants our tongues
for other things.

Kristan LaVietes

Kristan LaVietes is an indie-greeting-card ace and an ordained officiant of shotgun weddings and backwoods unions. Her writing has been described as "alkaline" and "crocodilian." She writes almost exclusively on the backs of grocery receipts. Her work has been published in Pearl, Nerve Cowboy, Savannah Literary Journal, andTexas Poetry Journal.

Photo Credit: Alexa Nuzzo