L.B. Sedlacek (Western Voices 2022)

Bio: LB Sedlacek has had poems and stories published in a variety of journals and zines.

Some of her poetry books are "Swim" (Alien Buddha Press), "I'm No ROBOT" (Cyberwit), 

"Happy Little Clouds" (Guerilla Genesis Press), "Simultaneous Submissions" (Cyberwit), and 

"Words and Bones" (Finishing Line Press).  Her first short story collection, "Four Thieves

of Vinegar & Other Short Stories" came out on Leap Day 2020 from Alien Buddha Press.  She 

also served as a Poetry Editor for "ESC! Magazine" and published the free resource for 

poets, "The Poetry Market Ezine," from 2001-2020.  In her free time, LB likes to swim, 

read and attempt to play the ukulele.

Universal

Words are not bound

with ferrules, metal rings

metal caps placed at

the end of sentences

the end of paragraphs

the end of verses

words do not need

strengthening, joining, binding, fitting

before putting them away

implementing, wear, evolving, influencing

simple ubiquitous great versatility

tubes, pipes, handles, rings

simple metal bands used

to prevent breakage, splitting

pencils bound to erasers

bristles bound to paintbrushes

caps bound to canes

knobs bound to umbrellas

double-check that you are

entirely free of words.

*** 

Alternate Species

The coveted

bow for the

stringed

musical instrument

comes from the wood

of the pernambuco

tree (caesalpinia

echinata)

the official tree

of Brazil

an endangered

species

carrier of

nuanced sound

embracing

disappearance

in decades

littered with

disco balls

bell bottoms and

the 8 Track

tape which

some may still

have in their attics

or basements

if they crawl through

the cobwebs and

dig deep enough

through the boxes

that weren’t lost

the day the

moving truck arrived.

***

In Balance

The next thing

you have to

think about is

afterwards and ongoing

how easy will

it be to

hide, how easy

will it be

to keep boxes

unchecked, faces from

touching and what

if it’s found

out?, the secret

exposed the familiar

places filled with

strangers and stares

and those thoughts

of what it’s

like to lose

everything.

---

Setu, April 2022