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Lita Kurth

For the Children of the South: A Redaction poem
from the Prophet Jeremiah

a pen of iron and the point of a diamond it is their heart,

your children remember the green trees    the high hills

the field   treasures    the borders

I gave and I will serve

a fire forever

the arm and heart in the desert shall see good

the parched salt and hope the tree planted

by the heat    her leaf shall be careful in yielding

the heart desperately can know

I try to give riches, and not leave, days,

and be a fool

a glorious hope shall be written in the earth,

because of living, I shall be art

they say let it come now

as for me, I was right

a terror of evil

but let me be   let me be bring them the day    double

go children of the people, the kings come in,

and they go out

take and bring it in the gates 

carry your houses

neck stiff, they might not hear

do no work

enter the gates and remain forever

come from the cities

the mountains, and from the south,

bringing burnt praise

bear entering

kindle a fire

in the palaces

and it shall be

the word


Source & Method

Erasure from Jeremiah, Ch. 17-18. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/)


Lita Kurth has been nominated for Pushcart Prizes and Best of the Net Awards. https://litakurth.weebly.com/. She  co-founded a literary reading series, Flash Fiction Forum.


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Issue 26