We’re pleased to present an cxcerpt from Margo Berdeshevsky’s new book, Before the Drought. In a 2016 interview with The Collagist, she described her work as follows: “I often feel that way about writing or offering work in a single genre. To be stuck in a box. More and more, I come to like functioning in the multi-genre or cross genre.”  There will be a launch event for the book on October 4th at Pacific Standard; Berdeshevsky will read with John Haskell and Pamela Ryder.

***

I head for the meadow to not watch the descendants

with knives. To not see the children. Guns in their eyes.

To not see eyes. A million moths,

like circles of hardened stars.

Immeasurable as prayer catchers. Gods.

How large—is it? Speak: stone. Speak: tired bird.

The moths melt like butter across hot meadows, my friend says.

So that we do not watch the chill, spilling from sons,

do not see knives that slice sleep….

—from “My Friends Speak”

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