Two Poems by Ali Znaidi

The Restoration of Psyche

The psyche is architecture, &
architecture sometimes mutinies
against the rules.
Hermeneutics is there to explain
such a disorder.

Now, my psyche is burnt,
& burnt again.
Red fire + Fractal architecture,
—a cauldron.

Not enough room for ash.

Now, my memory is recaptured
w/ out any need for a new programming
because the psyche just restores itself.

Illustration © Allison Goldin

When The Seasons

act as commanders(-in-chief),

autumn can command,

winter can command,

spring can command, &

summer can command,

& your will becomes

fragile,

& your freedom

fleets,

—fugitive pieces

of you collapse,

& bleed.

Ali Znaidi lives in Redeyef, Tunisia where he teaches English. His work has appeared in Mad Swirl, Stride Magazine, Red Fez, BlazeVox, Otoliths, streetcake, and elsewhere. His debut poetry chapbook Experimental Ruminations was published in September 2012 by Fowlpox Press (Canada). From time to time he blogs at – aliznaidi.blogspot.com and tweets at @AliZnaidi.

Allison Goldin is an artist living in Cambridge. Her work is a collection of spontaneous drawings from the imagination. The most common link throughout her art are the semi-recognizable creatures scattered amongst and bringing together the surrounding doodles. She is currently studying Illustration at The School of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.