Jack B. Bedell
        And you become a monster
         And the world... just keeps on eating
       - Alan Moore

This place might be wrapped in green or brown, but on its inside it’s pure red. Red that bubbles to
the surface constantly, scalds, lays waste, scorches whatever it contacts. This red will find itself inside
all of us if it can. It will take wives, and dogs, and dreams if we give it half a chance. There’s no end
to its hunger. No matter how many bites it takes off your bones, it can always find another nibble,
even if it means chewing gristle.

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Jack B. Bedell is Professor of English and Coordinator of Creative Writing at Southeastern Louisiana University where he also edits Louisiana Literature and directs the Louisiana Literature Press. Jack’s work has appeared in HAD, Heavy Feather, Pidgeonholes, The Shore, Moist, Autofocus, EcoTheo, The Hopper, Terrain, and other journals. He’s also had pieces included in Best Microfiction and Best Spiritual Literature. His latest collection is Against the Woods’ Dark Trunks (Mercer University Press, 2022). He served as Louisiana Poet Laureate 2017-2019.