the 
reconciliation


Through
 the
 gas‐soaked 
flesh
And
 the 
fish
 sulfur
Of 
this 
house

Through
 flutebone
And
 mudbone

Through
 the 
reconciliation
Of
 iron
 /
 Splinter 
/
 Beak
 of 
fire

And 
the 
exposure
Of 
my 
ghost
To 
acid
 /
 To 
fumigation 
/ 
To
 suffocation

To
 the
 eviction
Of 
my
 ghost

And
 the
 starvation
Of 
my 
ghost

May
 this 
fin
Of 
horse 
flesh
Between
 your 
teeth

Extinguish
 your
 effigy
Deliver
 your 
effigy
From
 harassment
 /
 Tar 
/
 Arrow

Deliver 
black
 amnesia
Here
 as
 I 
hold
 the
 glove
 of
 live
 current
Like
 a 
bouquet 
of 
goldenrod

And
 I 
dissolve 
you
From 
your
 ghost

On
 the 
tongue
Of
 my
 father’s 
fever

In
 the 
verse
Of 
blood 
mouse
And
 of
 spume
 
 
 

Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi studied poetics at Santa Clara University and UC Davis. She is a current graduate student of creative writing at UC San Diego. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in journals such as iO, Washington Square, The Brooklyner, Alligator Juniper, CutBank, Alice Blue Review, and The Masters Review.