i.
There is a black hole
within you, at the event horizon
of which is where your mind
resides, as a death’s-head
hawk-moth to
a colossal fire whirl.
Devoured tablets, as well as
offered kind words
and acts, light the surface.
Stale eyes wrench away
from licking infinite distances.
Ears gulp sounds.
Stapled lips split
into a grin. The thought
of ashes ceases.
The space-time at the event
horizon curves into
itself, and all forms of light
that are sponged up
in this black hole’s vicinity
orbits the curvature.
The gravity is so strong
that the resurrected
crust’s brevity becomes quicker
than a sneeze. How can
I escape this dark prison?
you might ask.
ii.
In 1974, Hawking
discovered that black holes
slowly emit radiation.
The tail can be untangled
from the snake’s mouth.
The black hole’s
gravitational pull
is inversely contingent
to its mass.
Michael John Otanes is a writer based in General Santos City. His works have appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Rappler, Philippines Graphic, and Santelmo 3, among many others. He was also a fellow of the 2018 Davao Writers Workshop, the 61st Silliman University National Writers Workshop, and the 30th Iligan National Writers Workshop.