Joanie Mackowski

B E I T

Epiphany

A momentary rupture to the vision:
the wavering limbs of a birch fashion

the fluttering hem of the deity’ s garment,
the cooling cup of coffee the ocean the deity

waltzes across. This is enough — but sometimes
the deity’ s heady ta-da coaxes the cherries

in our mental slot machine to line up, and
our brains summon flickering silver like

salmon spawning a river; the jury decides
in our favor, and we’ re free to see, for now.