ALICE CONSIDERS THE TIMING

by Alyse Knorr

Another optic net dipped into the waters
of Alice’s mind: blood-red valley plunges down
to meet her—no, that was the trip to the Grand
Canyon: kingdom laid out below the three of them
to map like the genes they shared. With Jenny
moaning under her, Alice works through the mechanics
of the scene and feels the temptation to learn
something from this, to take something away.
Were the climate in this realm warmer, she could
dive to the bottom of the ocean and pull up
a lesson, coughing and gasping for air.