Shock Absorber
by Dawn Macdonald
the bump on the node exceeds
the throat. now bound for the damp
litter of leaf rot.
lifter of a neat knot.
since when smothering’s called liberation.
a series or a turn.
what next: to bounce beyond? or back
to burn?
without stiffening. a bump,
a rebound. a dampening
device. resistance to a twisted leaf.
the ride, lifted. the return. hydraulic
control. a smoothening. calibration
by displacement. a series to compensate
propensity to oscillate. the weight
will attempt to return.
ABOUT THE CREATOR
Dawn Macdonald lives in Whitehorse, Yukon, where she grew up without electricity or running water. Her debut poetry collection, Northerny, came out from University of Alberta Press in 2024. Recent work appears in Arc Poetry, CV2, Freefall, and elsewhere.
Instagram: @yukondawnmacdonald
Bluesky: @yukondawn