<img src="cid:ii_12e44b48eff27dd8" alt="CityLamb.jpg" title="CityLamb.jpg" width="281" height="420"><br clear="all"><br><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;border-collapse:collapse"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Times;font-size:medium">

<span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">CITY LAMB</span></font></span><br>

<span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br>
<span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br>
<span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">There is an alligator at your feet</span></font></span><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small"><br>

</span></font><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">and before you see it </span></font></span><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small"><br>

<span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br></span></font><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">you step inside its mouth until</span></font></span><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small"><br>

</span></font><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">you fit all the way inside. </span></font></span><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small"><br>

<span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br></span></font><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">This is a safe place. Don’t think</span></font></span><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small"><br>

</span></font><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">now about reentering the city, </span></font></span><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small"><br>

<span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br></span></font><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">lengths of coffee shops, ghost birds,</span></font></span><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small"><br>

</span></font><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">impossible children at your feet. </span></font></span><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small"><br>

<span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br></span></font><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">A lamb in your arms licks at its leg.</span></font></span><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small"><br>

</span></font><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">A lamb in your arms is never just a lamb.</span></font></span></div>

<div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Times;font-size:medium"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small"><br>



</span></font></span></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Times;font-size:medium"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">*Please visit the <a href="http://RealPoetik.org/" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 204)" target="_blank">RealPoetik</a> website if you have trouble viewing the image in this email.*</span></font></span></div>

<div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Times;font-size:medium"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">
</span></font></span></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Times;font-size:medium"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small">
</span></font></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:small"><b>Natasha Kessler</b> is a graduate student in the University of Nebraska's MFA program. She co-edits the online poetry journal <i>Strange Machine</i> and enjoys collaging when she is not poeming. Her poetry has appeared in <i>Plainsongs</i>, <i>Plains Song Review</i>, <i>Alligator Juniper</i>, <i>Sub-lit</i>, <i>Sugar House Review</i>, and <i>Grey Sparrow</i>.</span></div>
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</span>-- <br>RealPoetik<br><a href="http://www.realpoetik.org" target="_blank">www.realpoetik.org</a><br>
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