Fevers of the Mind Poetry & Art Blog

Donations for maintaining website costs & to help with Print Anthologies go to our paypal feversofthemind@gmail.com or our Go Fund Me Page at https://gofund.me/765879f5 more info overall at these links. You could get pdfs of anthologies & my personal books for a small cost by checking out the info on these 2 links. https://feversofthemind.com/2021/08/27/announcements-fevers-of-the-mind-issue-5-overcome-anthology-is-out-how-to-get-pdfs-of-all-issues-through-go-fund-me/

https://feversofthemind.com/2021/09/03/revised-renewed-version-of-the-famous-poetry-outlaws-are-painting-walls-and-whispers-by-david-l-onan-now-out/

Submissions e-mail: feversofthemind@gmail.com  Twitter: @feversof @davidLONan1 a bio, social media info if any. This will be only for consideration for a general themed print anthology or one of our themed anthologies we plan on doing.

We are always taking submissions to take one of our Fevers of the Mind Quick-9 Promo Interviews. Poets, writers, authors, musicians, comedians, actors/actresses and more that have something that they’d like to promote please consider a Quick-9 Interview. For interview we need author photo, bio, social media info, etc. Send e-mail to feversofthemind@gmail.com Subject line: Interview Request.

Upcoming from Fevers of the Mind Press: “Before I Turn Into Gold” our second Leonard Cohen Inspired by Collection. Details soon on contributors for this. The submissions are now closed for this Anthology.

Upcoming from Fevers of the Mind Press: Our 6th Anthology edition which is now closed for submissions early. We will be announcing contributors & many of our past Wolf-Pack contributors pieces will be in this Fall Anthology.

Now taking submissions for: “The Trauma Letters” poetry, essays, short stories, artwork based on traumatic events in your life. Our process for these will be looked at very closely to make sure content will not be let in that shouldn’t be. For now deadline is November 1st for this.

Now taking submissions for “Fevers of the Mind Issue 7 Winter Edition” General submissions/And many invited for our huge end of year issues. This will be multiple issues to end the year. Mostly look at our general themes at this time. Deadline is December 1st. But also could include our Old Hollywood Poetry from contests in past & if you have a poem/writing based on pre-1975 Pop Culture. Please send in. If I get several I will make this a separate Anthology. See our themes below for reference. Old Hollywood Actresses, Actors, music, movies, culture in general.

Submissions for blog only: Book Reviews, culture pieces, rants, pre-published poetry from self-published materials, defunct lit mags, pieces from other lit mags with permissions.

Submissions taking in consideration for blog & anthology include if you are working on a sonnets (aka Paul Brookes at Wombwell Rainbow), a poetry series (such as Kushal Poddar) that you’d like to have on blog and considered in anthologies. See their work for examples. It must be a series of similar style poems/sonnets.

We do not take submissions for Fevers of the Mind Spotlight Series: These are done by suggestions in interviews/or our respect to poets, writers, musicians and more that we want to get more info out there for, or enjoy their creativity.

All submissions with bio. Please let us know if something has been previously published, we will make a judgment call on whether able to include.  Please give us 6-9 weeks for an answer on accepted/rejected pieces. For web submissions only if you send 1 piece and it isn’t accepted we do NOT send rejection e-mails. Just try again...but please just send once a month. We will not accept pieces that we deem racist, sexist, homophobic, or have pornographic themes, photos, or any type of nudity in submissions.

Themes in addition to General Submissions could include,  Social Justice Poetry, LGBTQ Matters/Pride, Mental Health, Anxiety, Culture, History, Old Hollywood poetry, love, broken hearts, pandemic themed, physical health, Influenced by Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, Leonard Cohen, Jack Keroauc, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, artists, Instrumental music, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Nikki Giovanni, Rita Dove, Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, William S. Burroughs, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Bukowski, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Keats, W.B. Yeats, E.E. Cummings, James Joyce, Ginsberg, Lorca, Henry David Thoreau, Tom Waits, Townes Van Zandt, Ted Hughes, Elliott Smith, Tori Amos, Ani Difranco, Marvin Gaye and many more.

About Editor David L O’Nan (info below will be changing soon, as I am re-working some of my personal works)

Follow me on Twitter @DavidLONan1 

David L O’Nan has been writing poetry & short stories for 20 years.   He is founder and editor in chief of Fevers of the Mind Poetry & Art Press with his wife HilLesha.  We have released 5 Anthologies of poetry & art since 2019.   He has also Curated & edited “Avalanches in Poetry: Writings & Art Inspired by Leonard Cohen” which he’s about to work on a 2nd Leonard Cohen Inspired Anthology “Before I Turn Into Gold” coming in late September 2021.   His books include the Revised version of “The Famous Poetry Outlaws are Painting Walls and Whispers” and his other self-published works are available on Amazon. “New Disease Streets”, “The Cartoon Diaries”, “Taking Pictures in the Dark” “Lost Reflections” “Our Fears in Tunnels” The original Famous Poetry Outlaws are Painting Walls and Whispers is also still available. His work has appeared in Icefloe Press, Anti-Heroin Chic Magazine, Royal Rose Magazine, Dark Marrow/Rhythm & Bones Lit, Truly U, Spillwords, Punk Noir Magazine, Eat the Storms Podcast, Cajun Mutt Press features, Ghost City Press, 3 moon Publishing, Elephants Never, Nymphs Publishing, and of course at www.feversofthemind.com

Go Fund Us and help Poetry & Art grow

I have set up this Go Fund Me campaign to help with expenses to re-new this blog to it’s fullest capacity, where I can offer more formal interviews. Put up more poetry, articles, columns, videos, pictures & more. This helps bring in money that helps me not live so check to check with my regular job, and put out more print anthologies & hopefully able to pay someone something for a contribution here or there. If you love this site please donate to the Go Fund Me! Thanks. Remember all that goes in print anthologies & most of my work end up on the site after awhile as well for free. So please help us advance to the next level so we know we have plenty of space and no content is lost. Any donations of $5 or more I will send free pdf anthologies or my personal books that are available. Let us know by our email feversofthemind@gmail.com and we’ll send you the pdfs.

https://gofund.me/765879f5

Revised, Renewed version of “The Famous Poetry Outlaws are Painting Walls and Whispers” by David L O’Nan now out

The revised, renewed,  more colorful,  Anthology sized version of ” The Famous Poetry Outlaws are Painting Walls and Whispers” is out today.  Buy here https://amzn.to/3ByLyVQ or you can buy a colorful pdf from me with a donation to the Fevers of the Mind Go Fund Me or through PayPal at feversofthemind@gmail.com  just let me know email address to send to if you donate. 

*Announcements” Fevers of the Mind Issue 5: Overcome Anthology is out & how to get PDFS of all issues through Go Fund Me

The U.S. Link https://amzn.to/38fVhno

The U.K. Link https://amzn.to/3gDz7Qt

And if you’d like a PDF copy of Fevers of the Mind: Overcome or any prior Fevers of the Mind editions on PDF or Avalanches in Poetry: Writings & Art Inspired by Leonard Cohen donate to our Go Fund Me Page. Send us your e-mail and I’ll send you some pdfs.

https://gofund.me/765879f5 email feversofthemind@gmail.com in subject put amount donated (I can verify) which issues you want (pdfs) Fevers of the Mind Press Presents the poets of 2020 is at least $5 itself due to the size. Overcome is at least $3 due to it coming out today.

Overcome includes: Fevers of the Mind 5: Overcome is the 5th Anthology for poetry, writing that generally themes of anxiety, social justice,
overcoming adversities and more. Fevers of the Mind has been built on this concept of fully understanding great writing, creativity, mental health therapy and showcase wonderful poets and writers. Faye Alexandra Rose, HLR, Lisa Mary Armstrong, Charlotte Hamrick, Z.R. Ghani, Kushal Poddar, Lawrence Moore, R.D. Johnson, Paul Brookes, Stephen Allen, HilLesha O’Nan, David L O’Nan, M.S. Evans, Annest Gwilym, Pasithea Chan, Matthew da Silva, Rosie Johnston, Amanda Crum, Barney Ashton-Bullock, Elisabeth Horan, Peach Delphine, Coby Daniels, Rose Knapp, A.R. Salandy, Tim Heerdink, Catrice Greer, Margaret Viboolsittiseri, Martins Deep, Stephen J Golds, Anisha Kaul, James Diaz, Charles K. Carter, Linda M. Crate, Vicky Allen, Charlotte Oliver, Ryan Flett, Samantha Terrell, Robin McNamara, Anneka Chambers, Maxine Rose Munro, Gayle J. Greenlea, Elizabeth M Castillo, Sarika Jaswani, Sarra Culleno, Ethan McGuire, Georgia Hilton, Briony Collins, Bruce McRae, Shiksha Dheda, Michael Igoe, Dai Fry, Scott Christopher Beebe & more

All contributions go back into this website & hopefully able to put out more content because of this. The more you send the more pdfs I will send out to you.

Fevers of the Mind Poetry & Art Digest (June 2019 Book 1)

1st issue includes interviews with Paul Gilmartin of Mental Illness Happy Hour, Aaron Tanner of Melodic Virtue Books, and Kentucky Poet Legend Ron Whitehead. Contributions by Tianna Hansen, Paul Rowe, Kristin Garth, Helena Fools, Scott Christopher Beebe, Abuh Monday Eneojo, Guy Farmer, Eli Horan, Guy Farmer, Rockshow Gimmicks, Heidi Miller Krause, Kara Beth Rasure, Roberto Zariskeeni, Jerry Masterson, Kimberly Cunningham, Christopher (C.L.) Belcher, John Everex, David G Lee, Amanda McLeod, Neel Trivedi, Jennifer Hibbs, Al Matheson, Christopher Osswald, Linda Crate, Elizabeth York Dickinson, John Ogunlade, Matthew Calmes, Matt Seeley, Paul Gilmartin, Aaron Tanner, Ron Whitehead, Mary Jones, Ruth Cheruto, Hillary Behsharam, Juliette Sebock, Anne Paulet, Chloe Gorman, Abigail Swire, Anna Nash aka diD (c) Kaleidoscope, Christian Gould, Megha Sood, Samuel Guest, Colin James, Stephen Morgan Woodworth, Jinn Bug, Hillesha D O’Nan, David L O’Nan

Poetry, Short Stories, Interviews, Art, Photography with interweaving moods of humor, anxiety, happiness, love, sadness, mental health awareness, hope, faith. Many creative poets, artists, photographers, lyricists in each issue. Issue 2 includes interviews with Brett Siler of Rebore Records, Jessie Lynn McMains Poetry/Editor at Bone & Ink Press, Matthew M C Smith, Brunette Glassco, Judge Santiago Burdon, Rachael Ikins, Justin Karcher, Helena Fools, Jackie Chou, Akapo Elizabeth, Christopher Osswald, Amanda “Enola” Reeves, Elizabeth Moura, Barbara Avon, Anne Paulet scripta 21, Anna Nash kaleidoscope diD, John Everex, George Miller, Stephen Watt, Ceinwen E. Cariad Haydon, Scott Christopher Beebe, Jennifer Hibbs, Jennifer Carr, Juleigh Howard-Hobson, Rachel Cunniffe, Kushal Poddar, December Lace, J Matthew Waters, David Fladger, Ana Lorenza Jimenez, Lynn White, Norb Aikin, Doug Polk, ps pirro, Anna Rozwadowska, Ellen Kirkman, Demi Whitnell, Paul Brookes, JDG, Jesse Falodun, Jamie Routley, Rickey Rivers Jr, Robin Ray, Ulane Vuorio, Samantha Merz, Abuh Monday Eneojo, John Ogunlade, Amanda McLeod, Neel Trivedi, Paul Robert Mullen, David Milburn, Pasithea Chan, Michelle Nadasi, Megha Sood, David L O’Nan, Hillesha O’Nan, Roberto Zariskeeni, Paul S Rowe, Eric Valor

Fevers of the Mind Poetry Digest Issue 3: The Darkness and the Light by [David O'Nan, Hillesha O'Nan, David O'Nan]

Fevers of the Mind Poetry Digest Issue 3 the Darkness & the Light contributors include Hillesha O’Nan, David L O’Nan, Cee Martinez, Scott Christopher Beebe, Peach Delphine, Richard Waring, JP Meador, Stephen Sherman, Jack Bowman, John Everex, Ann Hultberg, Matt Duggan, Cara Bovaird, Foy Timms, Megha Sood, Ulane Vuorio, Raine Geoghegan, Iona Murphy, Kaitlyn Luckow, Ivan Peledov, Joan McNerney, Karen Mooney, Rumillenial Poetry, Niles Reddick, Jackie Chou, Jennifer Criss, Linda Crate, Chris Maxwell, etc

Close your eyes and meditate on what was this year.2020 became the most difficult year for most humanity to handle –Emotionally, mentally, socially, physicallyThe many challenges have caused the world to spin in all these hardships.Resulting in both the best in humanity, but also an influx of bullying Amongst the people. Civil Unrest, bigotry, racism, conspiracies, a plague among us that many rejects and spread without fears of the outcome. As thousands if not millions began to die. The excuses and lies spread through the governmental figures.They were not ready to handle or unwilling to handle what their narcissism would not allow them to handle.Many sick, many deprived, many feeling unwanted by their country, unable to trust figures to help them feel safe & secure in an unknown world.Through this year. The ebbs and flows of creativity have hit. Sometimes you can’t do anything but stare at walls and ponder life. Sometimes though, we began to write, write about what is real, what is ideal, and writing can be therapeutic when you need it. The following is the Poets of 2020. Survivors through thought. Interviews, Essays, Poetry, Prose, Sonnets, Prayers, Memories, Dreams, Uniting, Eradicating fears, Living instead of Dying. We will come through and get over this foggy road.Just a Poetry Anthology really with an interview with musician Austin Lucas. Featured Poets: Ankh Spice, Steve Denehan, & Jenny Mitchell. Spotlight Poets Catrice Greer, December Lace, Kari Flickinger, Kushal Poddar, Raine Geoghegan Megha Sood, Damien Donnelly, Linda Crate, Matthew M C Smith & Black Bough Poetry, Icefloe Press with Robert Kenter & Moira J Saucer, Mela Blust and dozens of other poets & writers. A Massive collection. Contributors: Troy Jackson, David L O’Nan, Ankh Spice, Hokis, HilLesha O’Nan, Susan Richardson, Catrice Greer, A.R. Salandy, Sher Ting, the Poetry Question, Chris Margolin, Norb Aikin, Jenna Faccenda, December Lace, Ken Tomaro, Kushal Poddar, Ethan Jacob O’Nan, Tan Tzy Jiun, Icefloe Press, Robert Frede Kenter, Moira J Saucer, David Hanlon, Amy Barnes, Jason DeKoff, Darren Demaree, Abdulmueed Balogun, Steve Wheeler, Raine Geoghegan, Jim Young, Bradley Galimore, Anisha Kaul, Tim Heerdink, Damien Donnelly, Maggs Vibo, Mela Blust, Kristin Garth, Rickey Rivers Jr, Foy Timms, Jackie Chou, David Ralph Lewis, Paul Brookes, David Hay, Austin Lucas, Kari Flickinger, Sidney Mansueto, John Ogunlade, Lawrence Moore, Karen Mooney, Jenny Mitchell, Z.D. Dicks, Will Davis, Julie Stevens, Mukung Gnanadesikan, Gail Sheridan, James Lilley, Samantha Merz, Richard Waring, Iona Murphy, Vern Fein, Gerald Jatzek, Ediney Santana, KC Bailey, Samuel Strathman, Rachael Itkins, Mike Whiting, Linda Crate, Steve Denehan, Samantha Terrell, Peter Hague, Al Matheson, E Samples, Ann Hultberg, Ceinwed C E Haydon, Jane Dougherty, Michael Igoe, Will Schmit, Dai Fry, Megha Sood, Barney Ashton-Bullock, M.S. Evans, John Everex, Maxine Rose Munro, Jane Rosenberg LaForge, Lacresha Hall, Lucy Whitehead, Merril Smith, Kelly Marie McDonough, Gabe Louis Matthew M C Smith, Black Bough Poetry & more.

This bookzine is a book dedicated to the Inspiration of Leonard Cohen has left on many lives. Poetry, Quotes, Artwork photos, stories. It has been 3 years since his passing, and it is still hard to come to full grip with this. Contributors include Geoffrey Wren, Paul Robert Mullen, Attracta Fahy, John Everex, Lennon Stravato, Joan Hawkins, Christina Strigas, ps Pirro, Sarah Marquez, Xerado, Norb Aikin, Ediney-Santana, Neel Trivedi, Amanda McLeod, Robert Frede Kenter, Jack Bowman, Ryan De Leon from Sons & Daughters Journal, Ellen Kirkman, Greg Santos, Kari Ann Flickinger, John W Leys, Pavlina Marie, Amy Barnes, Michael Igoe, Kushal Poddar, Gerald Jatzek, David Mellor, Ankh Spice, David Grant Lee, Shauna McGuiness, Peter Hague, Samantha Merz, Tim Heerdink, Madison McSweeney, Kimberly Cunningham, Barney Ashton Bullock, David L O’Nan, Hillesha O’Nan

Poetry (re-post) Paisleys, et Cetera by David L O’Nan

Sunset, Sunrise, Sky, Orange Sky, Clouds

Paisleys, et cetera

From a nest of crows lay a red robin
That we saw develop from an amber to a passion.
A spirit animal that flies free from the misery
Swimming in the sky vertically
From backwards to frontwards,
Curving with ease

In the sunsets of Purple and Pink
From Ice Blue to the Orange Papaya whip
Swiftly,
wings threading the needle of the seas
Marveling in Springtime heavens
Only to depress in your cup nest covered by January frost.

Bind your ribbons to an ironclad bend
resting your tarsus in the blanket of snow,
and dream with your culmen,
Drinking in the rewards of the March air,
only shades are left to conquer.

2 poems by David L O’Nan: Those Hazels, They Slice & Living in This Toxic Coalmine

Wolfpack Contributor EIC Bios: David L O’Nan & HilLesha O’Nan

3 poems by David L O’Nan : “Come Possess Me in the Rain” “Sleight of Hand” “In the Palms of Schizophrenia”

Poem: Trippin’ Crawlin’ Learning to Fly by David L O’Nan 3 poems by David L O’Nan

“Immortalized in Dorothy’s Tears” “Precautionary Nightingales” & “Listen to the Bones Breathe”

Micro Poems & a few longer ones by David L O’Nan

Poem: Trippin’ Crawlin’ Learning to Fly by David L O’Nan

gray pigeons flying under blue sky

Trippin’ Crawlin’ Learning to Fly

Crawling out of his crooked shoe
His mission is to fly
He swallows one raindrop
From storm cloud after storm cloud
He shadows his face and hides.

In his ears, the harmonious peasants sing of love
He disappears,
A fading tumble into seclusion
Why does the wind play tricks on the brain?
Acting as though the whispering is real.

It is another game
We laugh at the fool
"Look at him stumbling out of his shoe"
Trap him, corner him
Into submission
Bury his dreams in with the oblivious
Pull apart the blue sky to devalue his freedom.
"What is behind those blue curtains"?

Just air, smoke, unbreathable distance?

Whistling echoes from the well
He has fallen into his long unwinding spell
Now lord help me, all that is mighty!
Give me a hand, let me stop the blind crawl
I can't see or hear the visuals, the auditory bleeding missions.

Searching for guidance
The hand that cradles you into thought
To no longer fear the frightening.

We are not a puppet controlled by the flirtatious mind of mercy
Flames become invisible
If you want to fly,
You must first run into walls.

The skin, the heart must thicken when struck by the whip of evil.

Time and time again.

Hiraeth Series Poems 31-33 from Kushal Poddar

Hiraeth Series poems 31-33

31

The neighbor’s tree encroaches
the air space,
taps my shoulder tired bearing
the weight of my slumber.

This day will not be known as
‘The day our neighbor’s tree woke me up’.

I struggle to descend downstairs.
No sound greets me. It seems
either no one else lives here
or all has left for a celebration
I’ve forgotten.

This day will not be known as
‘The day our house emptied its belly’.

If I try not hard enough
this day will roll on and be
‘Any other day’.

32

Nothing noted today, for two days in a row I have nothing to report. I stare out at scrawls on the bank of the pond nearby and imagine the ducklings,

and oh yes, I have not seen the local fishmonger shove some sacks of Cocaine down the throats of the bloated belly fish .

33

“My son died from sea-sickness.”
What are you saying?
I shake my head in silence.
“Oh yes.” You say.
“A brain cells eating amoeba.”

I witness the absence
ravage the presence.
The misplaced memories topple
the shelves full of souvenirs
from one seaside far away.

A kite shrieks in a seagull voice.
The sky reverberates.

A Fevers of the Mind Quick-9 Interview with R&B Musician Tasha Taylor

with Tasha Taylor:

Q1: When did you start writing and first influences?

Tasha: I started writing when I was 14. My first influence was my father’s music. Johnnie Taylor was my dad, he was a Stax artist.

Q2: Who are your biggest influences today?

Tasha: I still love the greats: Aretha, Etta James, Bobby Blue Bland. I also love Leon Bridges, Lauryn Hill, Drake, HER and so many newer artists.

Q3: Any pivotal moment when you knew you wanted to be a writer/artist/musician?

Tasha: I grew up on the road with my dad, watching him perform from the side of the stage as a kid was all I needed to know this was what I wanted to do.

Q4: Who has helped you most with writing?

Tasha: I write solo and produce my own sic. Listening to great writers always helps.

Q5: Where did you grow up and how did that influence your work?

Tasha: I grew up in Dallas, Texas.

Q6: What do you consider your most meaningful work you’ve done creatively so far to you?

Tasha: My record TAYLORMADE was a sort of tribute to my dad, so it holds a lot of meaning for me https://amzn.to/3ktUQwz

Q7: Favorite activities to relax?

Tasha: Painting>

Q8: What is a favorite line/stanza from a song/poem/writing of yours or others?

Tasha: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Albert Einstein

Q9: Any recent or forthcoming projects that you’d like to promote?

Tasha: Yes, working on a new record now.

Other links to Tasha’s music:

https://amzn.to/3zAINSy

https://amzn.to/3lNsblH

https://amzn.to/3ktqRFe

2 poems by David L O’Nan: Those Hazels, They Slice & Living in This Toxic Coalmine

First published in Icefloe Press https://icefloepress.net/two-poems-david-l-o-nan/

Those Hazels, They Slice

Remembering, those memories
Before the seclusion
To memories of you,
Somehow you made it from Limerick to Lane Fork
A creek full of snakes
They intrigued you to say
More snakes than angels here
Then you laughed
Níos mó nathracha ná aingil anseo
In our early twenties with hazels that wondered

Remembering, for many months
Trying to catch the butterfly
To dance with before the thunder bled on us
I had you within sight,
You were a millennial hippy in bellbottoms on Thursdays
By Friday you were vintage chic in a La Mendola dress
I’d long for you while hearing Sarah’s song playing in my head
Sharon from the Vampire Killers,
Your passion was to be Sharon from the Valley of the Dolls
And you, you drifted with hazels that sliced

Now we are children of 27.
You the Irish starlet searching for the dream
Stuck with a follower in love, a boy created in the dirt of the Midwest
Gravel chaffing your boho chick boots
We have to keep moving to keep your mind still
From Nashville to Kansas City to Yokohama for a week
We bled money from mud caves to gold mines
Until we shelved ourselves and began to pity as rats –
On the skim of the raising floods of New Orleans
The comedy of fools we entered drunk for many years
And your hazels lined with red in the castle of your soul

Twenties to Thirties,
Drinking and falling deeper to the sins
In passions you ran away,
I lay dire as the lone wolf
And still give you chance after chance
Dreaming of our rainjackets clashing on Toulouse
Wasting away in the downpours,
Our shoes getting stuck in sewer grates
Where are you now?
To new protectors, to new thieves
To talent scouts on Magazine Street
Your hazels looked to me and you say
sorry, no more kisses. I have to say goodbye
brón orm, gan póga níos mó. Caithfidh mé slán a fhágáil
What a tease as I fall to a prayer

Memories aren’t easy in the Big Easy in a lockdown
Coltrane’s “Blue Train” is growing more static and hisses
I just see those hazels, slice and say goodbye
Like your dizzy wake-ups before you drink your first drink
This song plays me like a straitjacket
And I dream of escaping on a ferry boat and hiding away
To one day escape your eyes and fall into the waters that’ll sway –
Sway me back to my youth and the worries I did not have.
The memories are my seizures
To my madman bones melted into your old Mahogany chair

Are you in your destiny,
Are you in love
Are you protected from the diseases,
Have the diseases took your identity
Has your fashion turned to rags
Have your men gone from Polanski to a black & white photo of our past
Are you enfolded to someone to cling to in the dying days of sunsets?

I’m not sure I can move past those hazels that sliced
Not knowing is just as bad as ever having you around.
The ashes spit down from the attic. The dust settles down my feet
It all becomes a haven for the depression to circulate within me.
And I whisper to myself, as if I were talking to the memory of you like a ghost.
to live alone, I don’t really know if I can. Without you, can I?
le maireachtáil liom féin, níl a fhios agam an féidir liom. Gan tú, an féidir liom?

Living in this Toxic Coalmine

There are fields that no one wants to breathe
There is a reality in which we cannot be

I wait for you to heal, as you wither like the sand
I wait for your angels to come by and build a temple with your hands

You’ve breathed in the blackest of beasts
That smother the air within the flow of these demons

Within our heart is little shards of twisted quartz
The crystals that cut through like minuscule crowns

The devil’s wind rips at the brim of my hat
I’ve got old souls dancing and trying to read the word to me

They know I’m no longer feeling human, I’m becoming a wooden boy
Talking like a stranger, fumbling sickly with his oil can toy.

Diseases like loves are just the flesh of charred whispers
Both feel the burns to the pores.
Sunlight can only wave in the hope to our deepest core

We’re tired of this burning, these shovels
The mouthing rambles of some fake heroes

Broken nose old men become experts at living
As they work on that same carburetor in that ‘95 Ford Taurus every day.

The sunshine has browned the roots of the grasses.
The heat has freckled me to the bones.

Through a life worth living we’ve all felt the worst grief
Some predators and sinners drink in to become their personalities
They’ve watched as the women weathered all the pedals
Under the icy stares from the devil in their men.

The minds that we all see as windows
Always think that they are invisible

The blackest of beasts may not be a pandemic
But the beasts that walk within one’s nerves, flesh & mind.
The darkness of the coal-seam fires
Leave the purity of what is underground to rise up to murder our hope

The mines are vibrating to combustion
The little stones quiver around my pulse
The pulsating veins quake like that bituminous coal
The canary flew in to sit on the wall just to become a wooden body.

The self-igniting madness of families severed by the greed
A pandemic could have been tamed
The spreading of ashes just splintered our breathing, and left us leathering.