In the entisols of childhood, I dig in
the diverse, rocky layer of origin where the

base is unconsolidated, a setting for base
parent material that doesn’t match up. Our parents

never believed we’d inhabit this space grown, never
saw the lack of affection for what it was: saw-

dust from the Ashkenazi family tree. Dust
finds me daily now, keeps me lunar. When you find

me in dreams, it’s to continue feuds with me,
not resolve them. Often I let you. But sometimes, not.

Jen Karetnick was a finalist for the 2018 Midwest Chapbook Contest