Jayne Pupek

S. Freud and the Ants

Black ants thread the crevice. A ribbon
undulating inside a wall. A little eel expanding.

What do you see inside the wall? Ants.
What do you see inside the ants? Myself.

Dream interpretation by ants does not take
long term memory into account. The lifespan

of insects, brief and shallow. What is there
to relish or lust after?

Take any set of facts and concoct a new story.
Only the endings would remain the same.

Some absolutes are barely recognizable.
Like water. Gravity. A gradient freeze.

S. is perturbed by the incongruence
of themes. He ferrets each one out,

perpetually clearing his throat as if
an ant has somehow taken up

residence inside his voicebox. He laughs
when I suggest an eviction notice.

No, he will smoke the damned thing out. Already
he is curling his moist lips around a thick cigar.

Jayne Pupek is the author of the novel, Tomato Girl (Algonquin Books, 2008) and a book of poems titled Forms of Intercession (Mayapple Press, 2008). Her second poetry collection, The Livelihood of Crows, is forthcoming from Mayapple Press later this year.  Her writing has appeared in numerous literary journals. In addition to her own writing, Jayne freelances as a ghostwriter, editor and mentor. A Virginia native, Jayne has spent most of her professional life working in the field of mental health. She adores sushi, parrots and horror novels.