These are selections from an experimental, multimedia translation of Gilgamesh. A literal translation of the Akkadian title of that narrative could be “He who has seen the underground water.” All language shatters into shimmering fractal networks of meaning and history upon approach, but for Akkadian and the underlying Sumerian, the effect is all encompassing. The works here dive into these signs set in clay, exploring the strata of poetry that emerge.
Mike Bagwell is a form of mutual antagonism towards the sky, a writer, and software engineer in Philly. He received an MFA from Sarah Lawrence and his work appears in Action Spectacle, ITERANT, Sprung Formal, Heavy Feather, HAD, Okay Donkey, Tyger Quarterly, THRUSH, Annulet, and others. Recent chapbooks include Poem of Thanks: A Court of Wands(Metatron 2025), A Collision of Soul in Midair (Bottlecap), and micros from Ghost City and Rinky Dink. He runs the Ghost Harmonics reading series in Philly. Find him at mikebagwell.me, @low_gh0st, or playing dragons with his daughters.
