Laura Goldstein

from nestpaper

A first year anniversary calls for paper in civilized circles. This past Friday, citizens received a threatening paragraph, small and concise. A day later there were roadblocks. This is all just a result of the times, a failure of fundamentalism, a misunderstanding of history. Who else will create a generation that will contribute to our winning? Will the young people crowd around the leaders and flirt openly with the news? Tens of thousands of letters flood the buildings, all anonymous. They begin to decide to go out, it was a small situation in the world that attracted images. One life is a symbol of the ten around it. In recent weeks the fear spread from the bottom to the top. In rain a mask covers the face. The rain right here is a calm mask with anger underneath. Your location, right here, will be transmitted in about a year. A year later, you’ll receive an anonymous text message asking you to reconsider. Will you? The map folds slowly into light paper lining, brows come out over the eyes and sweep up the details.

Laura Goldstein has two chapbooks, ice in intervals and day of answers. She has published a lot on the internet, too, most recently in EAOGH, Requited and Little Red Leaves. She teaches writing at Loyola and the School of the Art Institute.