im tired of speaking into empty eyes vacant hearts longing thighs im exhausted bogged down in wasted time hoping the music box lies from your crooked mouth would be divine intervention im sorry for being absolutely in horror of understood you for this makes me an accomplice to your betrayal of who i was not only was the writing on the walls the smoke signals in the sky but the very Gabriel yelled into my sighs of despair giving me warning tonight im tired more than i will ever be the angels are chasing me something is afoot they leave me spray painted prophecy
The woman I seestares back at meshe does not lieshe knows mebetter than I know myselfshe shows me who I ambehind fine linesdispels spells castwith potions and powdersshe eyes my surroundingsfortunate and fakecomforts in a disquieting wakeshe smiles at meand likes them all the sameeach morningdespite the presentationshe sees the maskbeyond the surfaceshe sees layers […]
Charlotte She splashes thoughts onto notebook pages with an old Bic. Kitchen table strewn with cheap chocolates and meals from St. Vincent’s. On her old bed sheets, rolling paper and tufts of tobacco with exaggerated Brave on the bag. Arms scarred by a childhood disease that taught loneliness. The matriarch of two generations. She wanders […]
What would YOU tell Shakespeare’s Juliet if you had the chance? The Heretics, Lovers, and Madmen Literary Collective loves a good writing/creativity prompt challenge. Our goal is to provide prompts on a regular basis. We hope that our ‘Shadow in the Frame’ prompt stirs your muse and that you consider submitting your prompt response to Heretics, Lovers, […]
I gaze into the thousands of twinkling eyes of my dark mother who reassures me, I don’t matter. Photo by Klemen Vrankar on Unsplash Bartholomew Barker is one of the organizers of Living Poetry, a collection of poets and poetry lovers in the Triangle region of North Carolina. His first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular, […]
today they’ll bury the 7 and hell has now imploded silence in his scream the noise in between rage and shame dissipated away in the fog there will be no match in a durge to the bravado of your life you way your death today they will not bury rage pain hate sting fate helplessness is not charity dignity is gambled away your darkness washed away clearing the way for come what may larger than life you taunted the death which inevitably takes all of us no more yells pounding beats fueled by broken ideals with heart in hand and blunt inhaled triumphant in your world yet crying on the dark side of the moon
hoy enterrarán al 7 y el infierno ahora ha implosionado silencio en su grito el ruido en el medio rabia y vergüenza disipado en la niebla no habrá partido en un duro a la bravuconería de tu vida tu camino tu muerte hoy no enterrarán rabia dolor odio picadura destino impotencia no es caridad la dignidad se juega tu oscuridad se lavó despejando el camino para lo que pase mas largo que la vida te burlaste de la muerte que inevitablemente nos lleva a todos no más gritos golpeando ritmos impulsados por ideales rotos. con el corazón en la mano y contundentemente inhalado triunfante en tu mundo aún llorando en el lado oscuro de la luna
The night you disavowed us; arms high above your headChhinnamasta, spouting bouquets of rosy blooddecapitating caution, light and sound bring creation’s escapepuppet no longer strung; you were a dark swan with gleaming feathersMare de déu de Montserrat with skin of starsblack Madonna, ebony in benediction’s release nothing of those apostasy days remain; aside my last […]
We, the unhinged, have come to greet you,welcome you to our foldin the middle of the day,in the middle of the night.We may smirk while you contortyour eyebrows, your eyes, the cornersof your mouth into shadowy screams, but the taste of your blood on our tongues, and ours onto yours,soothes our souls, calms our minds.Your […]
words less spoken 