the garment inscribed

with the names

of those who

have worn it

her prayers

no longer a way

of finding the light

each step taken

a trail

the others must follow

their songs no longer a map

Bob Heman has been writing prose poems for over forty years, with series including The Serpent Variations, Lore, Footnotes for the Future (collected in The House of Grand Farewells), and his ongoing Information pieces. His work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, and his collections How It All Began and Demographics are available from Quale Press. A former artist‑in‑residence at the Brooklyn Museum, his collages and cut‑outs have been exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto. Since 1971 he has edited CLWN WR (formerly Clown War), and he has lived in Brooklyn for most of his adult life.