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Agnes Vojta

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I Need a Wrist Strap for my Ice Axe

Wearing a short dress and sandals,
I step into the outfitter,
ice axe in hand,
and ask for a wrist strap.

The questions begin immediately:
What do I want with an ice axe?
Don’t I know that is a dangerous mountain?
A real climb? Wouldn’t I rather
be interested in a nice walk?

My bearded friends
on the other side of the store
watch for a while, amused,
before they amble over to me.

Suddenly, the wrist strap
is no problem at all.


Agnes Vojta grew up in Germany and now lives in Rolla, Missouri where she teaches physics at Missouri S&T. She is the author of Porous Land (Spartan Press, 2019). Her poems recently appeared in Red River Review, Minute Magazine, Nixes Mate Review, The Blue Nib, As It Ought To Be Magazine, Former People, Thimble Literary Magazine, and elsewhere. 

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