Daniel Seifert

Dig in: notes on Ukrainian soil

The Italians have a saying that sounds like a song,
In bucco
al lupo.

What a honeyed way to croon “good luck,”
In the mouth
of the wolf.

That’s how it feels
to chisel through earth’s wet skin, until
you’re cradled in your homeland’s jaw—

frost-furred mud and stones like scattered teeth
turn boots to puppy paws, safe
in Mother. A trench

can be home too.
A trench can bathe in moon.
A trench will let you howl, hungry

when bears lie at the door.
Let the bears paint your earth
with artillery: now

each hole’s another mouth
of the wolf.

—————

Daniel Seifert’s writing has been published in The New York Times, Consequence, Open: The Journal of Arts and Letters, and the anthology Missed Connections: Microfiction From Asia. In 2023 he was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and longlisted for the Letter Review Prize. He is currently completing a Masters in Creative Writing at Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore. He tweets @‌DanSeifwrites