(n.) 1: a musical beat or other regular rhythm. As in: nightclub. As in: bass notes strobing through a tumult of bodies that throng together in dance. (n.) 2: a single vibration or short burst of sound, electric current, light, or any other wave. See also: science fiction, where an adjective form often precedes the noun "rifle." In Aliens, Ripley uses a pulse rifle to protect a child from a Xenomorph. In real life, people claim to use these weapons to defend children. In real life, people aren't shooting at Xenomorphs. (n.) 3: each successive throb of the arteries or the heart. Fact: every person dies. Fact: some people die faster than others. Fact: the finger throttling the trigger is built the same as the fingers splayed over a naked heart struggling to beat. (v. intr.): to exhibit a pulse. There is no pulse. (n.) 4: the rhythmic recurrence of strokes, vibrations, or undulations. Keyword: recurrence. As in: a return to a previous condition or habit. As in: more blood mottling more public floors & walls & windowpanes. As in: our blood. As in: stop this. As in: help us.

Emily Rose Cole is a poet and lyricist originally from Pennsylvania. She holds an MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and is a PhD student in poetry at the University of Cincinnati. Her work has appeared most recently in Sycamore Review, So to Speak, BOAAT Journal, and Yemassee.

Glass: A Journal of Poetry is published weekly by Glass Poetry Press. All contents © the author.