“The Whisper’s Only Scar” © Bill Wolak

 

My Devil

          -after Eileen Myles-

My devil is
always sitting
beside me,
even when I am
walking. He
whispers a
blonde list
of my mistakes
and regrets,
past, present
and future,
into my ear.
The most
desperate
poem I’ve
ever heard.
He spellchecks
the writing
on my wall
and corrects
every mistake
with a flaming
sword. I am
patiently waiting
for his judge-
ment, I hope,
he gives me
an A+. At
breakfast, I
missed myself
today, but he
substituted
for me. The
only thing
that can save me
now are the poets
in the wings.

 

Oliver Kleyer is a poet from Northern Germany. He writes in German and English. He works as a teacher for German as a Second Language at a refugee camp.

Bill Wolak is a poet, collage artist, and photographer who has just published his eighteenth book of poetry entitled All the Wind’s Unfinished Kisses with Ekstasis Editions. His collages and photographs have appeared recently in the 2020 International Festival of Erotic Arts (Chile), the 2020 Seattle Erotic Art Festival, the 2020 Dirty Show in Detroit, the 2021 Rochester Erotic Arts Festival, the 2018 Montreal Erotic Art Festival, and Naked in New Hope 2018. He was a featured artist in Best of Erotic Art (London, 2022).