Fleeced

Poem by By Scott Thomas Outlar

You can purchase Written Tales Magazine in print or digital format or become a paid subscriber and download your favorite editions. To view our upcoming stories & poems, please visit our publishing schedule calendar.

---

flesh feels like bone
blue chills and white cloth
 
fabric of winter
 
shaven clean
until old scars show
on the surface
and bleed anew
along with cuts made fresh
 
smooth blades of aloe
soothe the lines marked by time
 
focus sharpened
across each hour
spent in hibernation

eyes of the chin and cheeks
naked and open
seek the sun
 
sweet kisses of shadow
 
weep gently
from the sting
of lashing winds
as the veil between
suffering and joy
is lifted
 
blind skin
married to visions
birthed by the source
at an altar of light
 
sacrificial spirits
 
sing ancient hymns
with the ghosts of life
at the sight
of a grave
 
thank God
we never dug
too deep

---

Scott Thomas Outlar is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. He now lives and writes in Frederick, Maryland. His work has been nominated multiple times for both the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. He guest-edited the Hope Anthology of Poetry from CultureCult Press as well as the 2019-2023 Western Voices editions of Setu Mag. You can view more of his work at 17Numa.com

---