Soul Auger
The poet had written, “kneel
to auger the soil,” but misspoke,
and so, I auger my soul, drilling
towards the core, hoping to find
some essential, unique thing,
all the while fearing what might emerge.
Ghosts long buried might arise
to haunt the peace of this new life,
or a subterranean chain reaction
might leave me hollow.
Or worse, I’ll find I am already hollow,
a vast empty space, cavernous, dark,
where only the echoes of others’ voices
are heard. At best a dusty pile
of stories and rhymes that no one needs.
As I drill, the displaced dirt
piles up around me. I am buried
beneath words, photographs of ancestors,
trinkets and tchotchkes, saved for who?
What good can come of this?
Better to shovel all the revealed detritus
back into the hole and look outward
to the glory of the world,
the sunsets and free-flying birds.
Yet, like scratching at a healing wound,
I cannot help but drill and dig.
Brian Mosher resides in Mansfield, Mass. He has self-published 3 books: “One Bad Day Deserves Another” (short stories) and “Moon Shine and Lemon Twists” (poetry), both in 2016; and “The Broken Mosaic” (poetry and prose), in 2021. His most recent release is a collection of poems and song lyrics from Metaphysical Fox Press titled, “A Muster of Melodious Musings” (2025). His work has appeared in many magazines and journals. He has a forthcoming poetry chapbook from Finishing Line Press, slated for January 2026 release.
