Revisionism

By F.J. Bergmann

5 April 2010

When they changed their minds,

they changed their forms as well.

Fresh-minted, teneral, a new body—

with new ideas—crept from each

rejected discard. Membranous husks

of former selves wafted sadly

along lonely turnpikes, ghosting

in dying winds, or sagged, deflating,

under NO EGRESS HERE signs.

With each rebirth their exoskeletons

became more heavily armored;

their defense mechanisms more toxic.

Their tongues had a thousand words

for self-improvement, but no words

for guilt, none for regret

Copyright © 2010 F.J. Bergmann

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F.J. Bergmann frequents Wisconsin and fibitz.com. She writes poetry and science fiction, often simultaneously. Her work has appeared in Asimov's, Astropoetica, Mythic Delirium, Niteblade, Weird Tales, and literary journals that should have known better. She is the poetry editor of Mobius: The Journal of Social Change. Find more of her work in our archives.

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