John Kitsco

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As I mentioned in the previous blog about THE NAMES LEAVE THE STONES...
our friend Mick (Steven Micheal Berzensky) is very very prolific, having
published five books of poetry and no less than 24 chapbooks. His most recent
publication, Variations on the Birth of Jacob, received the 1998 Saskatchewan
Poetry Award.

What is most interesting is that Mick moved to Canada (born and raised
in California) - arriving in Canada in 1965.  Perhaps it was a combination
of our cold winters and warm hearts that kept him here.

I would like to conclude this blog with a sampling of Micks work from his
233 page poetry book entitled THE NAMES LEAVE THE STONES.

This is from the section in the book called VEIL.  This poem is entitled:

                                                   HIS PLEASURE

at first they whispered
the worst thing he did to you
was take away your only child
take her away from you forever

now they whisper
the worst thing
he did to you
was murder you

like this, every day

you,
one he never touched
never met, never considered
for a moment , even while
he took her body and covered it
with dirt and leaves
to hide his pleasure
bury his fear

he believed
he was the only one
who really mattered

you have learned
any man who slays
a single soul
murders a multitude

so
that he
cannot slay you

you must
keep her
alive