PLAN B PRESS Issue
Michael Fisher
Plan B Press published Wolf Spider, by Michael Fisher, in 2010. Fisher contacted us in 2008 with this manuscript and it simply took until early Spring 2010 for it to come out. Now that it’s out and I have taken a moment to reflect on it, it’s an amazing collection. Think One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest or Girl, Interrupted in poetry form. It’s a significant work. Our Creative Director accepted the challenge of binding it in a beautiful way that suggests a spider’s web. God love her, Katy Jean May put herself into the situation herself by saying, “wouldn’t it be cool to do a special binding for this book,” only to have to actually do the cool thing all herself. She’s a great asset to the Press, let me never suggest otherwise.
from NOVEMBER 11th
.............................In the dumpster
the bee realizes truth without order
leads to hardships
but if his means would allow
he’d contemplate purpose
consider chaos
stop his one buzz
wonder how discolored
boxes share a hue
with spring
conceived by an order
dwarfing the hive.
...................But stops
at “hardships” concludes
his hive sworn
to protect is gone.
His loyalties
meaningless.
...................He can not
bring it back
building and rebuilding
were never
his duties.
..........He plunges
his back down
surprised by pain
excavated organs tossed
in his last moment.
.................The boy
lies naked
watches another bee crown
its head to consider
if it’s safe to come alive.
To the boy’s dismay
the newborn darts to
the ceiling, buzzing, awaiting
purpose or orders.
Michael Fisher was born in Agawam, MA. He holds an MFA from New England College and currently lives in Worcester, MA.
Published in Volume 11, Number 3, Summer 2010.