Self-Portrait as Mastodon Remains

Christina Olson

the skull has been punched once        twice           eleven thousand years later, the paleontologistfits another tusk into the holes & sees           what damage the mouth can wreakonce upon an epoch, one mastodon bleeds out           & another one has a killer toothachemastodon, no one ever told you that a hairy coat           hides all the blood       or that the headweeps from any hole it sees fit to           when your bones are resettled in the flooddo not mourn the scattering of jaw from rib           & hasn’t the heart always begged free of the tonguewhen they find what remains of your mouth, smile           finally revealed despite the blue effort of glaciermastodon:                the words breast + tooth in Greek           that was my last kiss                              my best kiss

Feature Date

Series

Selected By

Share This Poem

Print This Poem

Christina Olson’s most recent poetry collection is Terminal Human Velocity (Stillhouse Press, 2017). Her work has also appeared in The Atlantic, Arts and Letters, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Southern Review, and Brevity.

Alaska Quarterly Review

Summer & Fall 2018

Anchorage, Alaska

University of Alaska Anchorage

Editor-in-Chief
Ronald Spatz

Senior Affiliate Editors
Robert Clark
Stephanie Cole
Christine Byl
Amy Meissner
Carol Sturgulewski
Hannah Perrin King
Shane Castle
Debra Pennington Davis

Alaska Quarterly Review is one of America's premier literary magazines and a source of powerful, new voices. Works originally from AQR have appeared in Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards; The Pushcart Prize; The Beacon Best; The Best American Mystery Stories; The Best American Essays; The Best American Nonrequired Reading; and The Best American Poetry.

"One of the nation's best literary magazines."
The Washington Post Book World

"Original and fresh."
—Stuart Dybek

"Playing an impressive part in our national literature."
—Laura Furman, Series Editor Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards

"Highly recommended and deserves applause."
—Bill Katz, Library Journal

Poetry Daily Depends on You

With your support, we make reading the best contemporary poetry a treasured daily experience. Consider a contribution today.