Tlatoani by Carson Pytell

Golden as his blood he,

charm bedecked, shone

precious; an earthbound star.

With certain mania he smirked,

postured now upon cool stone,

as green obsidian was drawn.

The plunge, though, halted

at an alien thunder unloaded,

soundly calling his crowd.

Exhibiting all regalia, even he

deigned to grace the silver,

who saw it and approached.

The sun off some Tizón

usurped his vision

just before his kingdom.

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Carson Pytell is a writer living outside Albany, NY whose work has appeared in numerous venues online and in print, including Artifact Nouveau, NoD Magazine, The Virginia Normal, Rabid Oak and Crack the Spine, among others. His short collection, First-Year (Alien Buddha Press, 2020) and chapbook, Trail (Guerrilla Genesis Press, 2020) are now available.