In a Jar

A Poem by Natalee Caple

for Tony Burgess (again)

In a

jar

and

the latrine

intended to the Terror through the

lack

must be in

a jar

and kept

by ready force

the Terror she placed in

a jar

be

listening be more be lated be behind

major fields

of those

hacked to pieces of

the carefully placed

one

more

time

the circulating night

elated in

a jar

kept

ready for force

the place

where nature

breaks virtue

marijuana animal

swimming

through the over-whelming

pubic beard returning to virtues

of force

slapping in the

slop buckets

sparks

are

fire

She intends it this time, or

drank

turpentine

in all cases

returning in time, their

money

in

a jar

listening to

replace nature its so-called

progress

Natalee Caple is the author of seven books of poetry and fiction and the co-author of several incarnations of a full-length play titled i-Robot Theatre (based on Jason Christie’s i-Robot Poetry) with the Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre Collective. Her most recent novel, In Calamity’s Wake was published to international acclaim in Canada and the US in 2013. Her collection of poetry, A More Tender Ocean, was shortlisted for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award. Her book of short stories, The Heart is its Own Reason, was called “moving … arresting” by The New York Times. Her novel, Mackerel Sky was called “ breathlessly good” by the Washington Post. Natalee’s work has been optioned for film, and nominated for a National Magazine Award, the Journey Prize, the Bronwen Wallace Award, and the Eden Mills Fiction Award.