Holding On Oh, but I am not about death. I am not about rejection or letting go. I want to open my soul like a pair of arms and embrace it all– the beauties of this world– to gather them in like lovers or little lambs. To hold on, to hold on, to the sun-kissed […]
Read more "Dr. Peter Scheponik – HOLDING ON"Terminal I stood at the airport carousel waiting.I was outside looking downseeing how solitary my world had become.Where had all the other passengers gone?Then suddenly the airport was full of people.The carousel was full of baggage.Nothing but black suitcases and overnight bags.And it no longer mattered which one you grabbed.One by one, they were taken.Some […]
Read more "ROBERT CASTAGNA – TERMINAL"Religion The Dude was here The Dude’s a saint Saints pick their teeth Saints spread like wildfire Wildfire eats oxygen Wildfire purifies Purify your thoughts Purify your chant Chant for Godtopia Chant for redemption Redemption for massacre Redemption for torture Torture to convert Torture to believe Believe in deep alchemy Believe heretics will confess Confess […]
Read more "RIKKI SANTER – RELIGION"The Toy in Trouble After Harryette Mullen & With Apologies to Paul Simon These are the ways of lyricals and blunders. This is a long list of falls. The way the stammering fallows us in so much. The way we mistook it all. The way we took to a miscreant congregation that thinks it’s flying […]
Read more "TERRY LUCAS – THE TOY IN TROUBLE"The Name of My Bride It matters not whether what liesat the bottom of the lake is hardboiled eggs, marizpan, car batteries,the Senator, a Biblical abomination,the handbook for your exerciseequipment, the loch ness monster,even a good dose of lichen. It’s lessabout what is there than what youcan prove is there, what you canmake a tentful […]
Read more "ROBERT BEVERIDGE – THE NAME OF MY BRIDE"LIGHTHOUSE SILHOUETTE The lighthouse stands in front of the setting sun; a day’s natural protection against shorelines and snags lurking in one’s path. The lighthouse silhouette stands between – prepared, primed, hand on the switch as the sun sets, an afterglow evaporates into darkness strobed by the lighthouse. ~~~ BACK DAYS Looking back, vision blurs […]
Read more "DIANE WEBSTER – 2 POEMS"How Small Can the Smallest Star Be? I hear the thank you notehas gone out of style.That’s just bad mannersif you ask me. A sign ofpoor parenting. Remind meagain, what’s the small fork for?What’s the proper salutationfor a collection letter?Are dowries still a thing?I thought I saw a hummingbirdbut it turned out to be a […]
Read more "PATRICK MEEDS – 5 POEMS"5 Years ago Remember as the sun set on James island Tired Together Fading into the coming nightAnd how after heading back to our camp An old man to show the pictures he had taken of Our silhouettes together encircled by Fiery dusk How he asked for our emailsIn effort to send the photos to […]
Read more "TOM PESCATORE – 5 Years Ago"Memento Mori I was in Duesseldorf recently, watching dreams burn out on the sidewalk. I love this city. The way the rich sit in their restaurants like animals locked in a zoo. Money isn’t character. I know that because I have none. I love the view. The way the sun sets over the promenade makes […]
Read more "Daniel SCHULZ – Memento Mori"Caffiend Oh, when the bridle wirepulls her comb and her teethbegin their play, their tin-canmorning melodies aremocking me, so gay. “Oh,” is what I say.How is it these sirensstrike 6, and 7, and 4?No day is as before,a roller-coaster melody,looping back-and-forth. My body aches with gravity.My blood: mercury soup—poisoned, heavy metals;cold and acid blue. “Hey, […]
Read more "Quentin Staley – Caffiend"
Cacti Fur 