Shattered Maps by Jeff Bagato

For iron and gold, 
and diamonds,
and the lesser stuff like fruit and grain,
warriors passed this territory
along a trail of blood

Haunted cities died, and these people
dropped their names in blood
so often they called themselves
the forgotten

But their cities lived in legends:
faerie towers built
on light, minarets and domes
and glories of a civilization
too marvelous to bear,
its riches brighter than the sun

The best cultures 
are those that do not survive,
as only there can human
dreams find refuge
from the barbarian storms

All the roads that lead there
were drowned in shadow and mist,
and the maps recording
the roads shattered
by dragon’s claws

This late country is soon re-found
by mapmakers who had never 
seen beast or land or war
or such beauty outside 
the inner joy of a mind at rest






A multi-media artist living near Washington, DC, Jeff Bagato produces poetry and prose as well as electronic music and glitch video. Some of his poetry has appeared in Empty Mirror, Futures Trading, In Between Hangovers, Otoliths, Your One Phone Call, and Zoomoozophone Review. His published books include Savage Magic (poetry), And the Trillions (poetry), The Toothpick Fairy (fiction), and Computing Angels (fiction). A blog about his writing and publishing efforts can be found jeffbagato.com.