Category Archives: CHAOS

Poetry from Gale Acuff

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Future Perfect

I say my prayers every night, first
the Lord’s, which we say in Sunday School and
Miss Hooker leads it. I’m in love with her
and I’ll marry her one day even though
she’s 25 or so and I’m just 9
and that’s sixteen years’ difference if my
take-away is right, and even though she’ll
always have sixteen on me, I don’t care
because my love is strong and nobody
could love her better, I know, except
for God and Jesus and the Holy Ghost but
that’s not fair, I mean nobody human
so when I’m 16 I’ll ask her out on
a date. I’m sure she’ll still be single then
because I pray about her every night
after I say the Lord’s Prayer, which is
what Jesus said Himself and told the folks
to pray that way so how could they miss? and
then I pray for my parents and my pals
and even my enemies–I don’t have
any but one day I will so I should
be ready for them. Sometimes I can’t wait
for someone to hate me just to see how
loving them this way will make them lose, lose
in a way that won’t hurt them, I mean, they
can’t be all bad if at least they’re giving
me attention. And then my dog, that he
goes to dog-Heaven when he dies, a good
boy he is, too, and can sit and stay and
speak and shake hands, or is it paws, and chase
sticks and balls and rocks and fallen apples
and cats and squirrels and one time he treed
a ‘possum but ran off when the ‘possum
showed his teeth and I’m not ashamed for him,
I ran, too. And mice and rabbits and stray
dogs and cats and the substitute mailman
who smells funny, I guess. Then I come to
Miss Hooker, that she’ll be safe, and single

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Christopher Bernard’s novel Amor i Kaos: Beginning

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This is  a novel that we’ll serialize each month until we reach the end.

Amor i Kaos

A novel

By Christopher Bernard

This novel is dedicated to the memory of the Spanish novelist Juan Goytisolo (1931−2017), whose example has given many the courage to follow the drive of imagination and desire wherever it leads, in fear, in fascination, and in wonder:

The Blind Rider,
Count Julian in his pocket,
Juan sin tierra on his eyebrow,
Makbara at one ear,
the Solitary Bird at the other,
rides his blind horse over the blind country:
a walk, at first slow,
then a trot, faster,
then a canter, faster,
then a gallop, faster,
faster, and yet faster,
till the blind horse
opens blind wings
and lifts him
on the stones of the wind
into the blind
sky

_________________

The wind rattling the kitchen window, wind he had hardly been aware of, was suddenly clear as the shaking of a cage.

— But you are not in love with me.

There was some satisfaction, at least, in twisting the blade with his own hand.

She continued watching him.

—Yes . . .  No . . . I’m sorry . . .   I can’t anymore . . . I have to . . .live past you. It’s not you, it’s  . . . me . . .

She scowled at the inept cliché. Something she would usually have refused to commit, under penalty of an eternal shaming.

The shaking seemed to redouble its fury.

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Poetry from Keith Landrum

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An Example Of War

save your money

don’t throw it away
on me
there’s plenty
of others
out there
trying
to make
a buck
or some shit
whatever
they are
in
too
save it
you’ll need it
later
maybe
you need
it now
I don’t
know
shit about
anything I just
call ’em
as I see
those assholes
you’ve seen
them dressed
better
but not better
perfect teeth
guilty smile
sleeping
with Lucifer’s
last whore
you’ve seen those
assholes
I don’t know
what you’ve seen
outside
of that
but I’ve
seen enough
to know
I am
so sick
of seeing
the smile
of the American Flag
time clock
I have holes
in the head
heart
and liver
they are right
at a 1/2″ wide
about 70
or 80
of those
fuckers
this is one
of them

Poetry from Joan Beebe

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STONE SOUP
While going for a walk, I came upon
A cluster of stones, so beautiful.
As the rays of the sun glistened upon them,
I picked them up and found one that was
Ruby red in color.  I had never read
Anything about such stones.  Being careful not
To spill them, still some fell into a
Hollow depression.  Fortunately I retrieved them
And decided I would walk across the small bridge
That led to home.  I put all those stones into a
Large bowl.  For a moment, the bowl of stones
Reminded me that I would rather have a big bowl of
Soup for my lunch.
 

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Poetry from Vijay Nair

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Vijay Nair

Vijay Nair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A platonic journey of my holy lips!

My lips starts its platonic journey

At midnight from the curved

Ears of my lady love

The best way to reach her virgin heart

To make furrow that Eden

For a splendid spring

 

The brunette beauty have uncharacter

But, will have faith you no

If have character no

Your aristocracy lose

Venom worse than leads burial

Beholder both the holder

Whoopee lips enduring at once

Adam’s fall and sinner at all

O, remember not the sins

And offences of my lips

Forced to eat forbidden fruit

A sinner originated not first

 

She no longer a deaf

Move a muscle not

Hear my whispering lips,

A whinchat it makes a wiseacre

By singing sweet flatter

A flea in her ear not

 

Wins by note makes my lips

Not hold her heart of stone

At long but, her mourn not moan…..

Break that whip at last but least

 

She no longer a blind

Pay my lips a glimpse of glory

No, spirit of my wobbling lips

Halt at her lotus eyes

At all a surge on her flimsy petals

That wakes her upon Immortal bliss

 

Whippy lips raddles on brow

Where sprout a wave squander a lot

Not redeemed that tort of damnation

Withal my minx neath

An entice into that scammer,

My rhetoric lips ventured

Rambling lips ruminates all trifles

Of its cataclysm over my uncovered

Ruth a ruthless who’s,

Mirth mastered into a nascent splendour?!

 

Pliable lips abode on tip of the nose

Not naughty my nymph

Venerates to swap its sublime

Driven high, for stars lie hidden in her soul

Dream deep precedes the goal

My lips for every dream

 

Thunder is good thunder is impressive

But, it is lightning does the work

On her sultry plum, a pernicious cavity

My lips imbibed her own by

A battle of unconditional love

That hale a mental dynamite

 

Damp lips ribald its sooth

On my Jezebel’s rosary beads

Of a seat of emotions

Feeds my lips a plenty

Play the mice, a cat away

Waiting in the wings

 

Whimsical Lips not breather

Until it makes voyage unto

Her butterfly nut, which makes

My lips a dance attendance

On her Dutch auction

That navel gets involved with

Brazen lips my caged in,

Flesh a triangle that burrow

Scintillates high spot sanctified by

Holy lips my her driven into salvation

A gnostic ken elevated to

A swain as spiritual sign

Where ended its spiritual journey as a sign

© -Vijay P Nair – 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elizabeth Hughes’ Book Periscope

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Flight To Ohio by Mary Anderson Parks
Flight to Ohio is an emotionally powerful and gripping story of a woman and her remaining child fleeing to Ohio to be free from slavery. They have been abused in the most horrible ways and her daughter and grandchildren had even been sold to another slave holder. Nellie and her son Tom flee Virginia to what they believe will be a better life in the North.  Her son was fathered by the plantation owner after he raped Nellie. Her son was born with light enough skin color to pass for a white man.
They split up once they cross the state line. Tom finds work with Daniel Fullerton, who sells real estate. After working for Mr. Fullerton and proving how trustworthy and smart he is, Tom suggests they buy a farm and start selling livestock also. Tom becomes a well liked and respected man in the town. He soon begins to court the young Sarah Long. Another man, a drinking and foul tempered man, also vies for the attention of Miss Long. Miss Long and Tom soon marry and have children. All of the children turn out to also pass as white. Things begin to look up for Tom and his young family until Hank Dexter’s jealousy begins to fester.
This book is emotionally powerful and gripping. You will not be able to put it down until the very last page. I highly recommend Flight to Ohio.
The Human Inside 
humaninside
The Human Inside is a sci-fi  fantasy with a little romance and
humor. It is a fun story that can be enjoyed by middle
school aged kids to adults. It takes place in the 22nd century. Dr.
Kendrick of Amborg Industries has taken technology to the
next level and has enhanced young adults and teens to be
half human and half amborg. They are enhanced with advanced
computer technologies. They are half human and half robot.
They are trained to help law enforcement and military
personnel to fight the gangs that are trying to take over
L.A.
Each amborg has a technician who works with them and
trains them and helps them to better fit in with the humans.
Most cannot speak with their vocal cords. They speak with
their minds linked to special bracelets. The Amborgs cannot
be harmed or killed like normal humans, which makes them
more valuable in battle. This is a fun and entertaining book
with adventures galore. It will keep the reader on the edge
of their seat until the very end. I highly recommend The
Human Inside by Y. T. Cheng.
The Secrets of All Secrets by Douglas Wells
secretsofallsecretscover
The Secrets of All Secrets is a fun adventure that you can read quickly. It is fast paced and will keep your interest until the last page. It is about a USB that is placed in two people’s mailboxes by a mysterious person. Zane and Dali have been specifically chosen to carry out the search for The Secrets of All Secrets. They are instructed to place the USB in their computers at different locations. The USB can even communicate with them as if they were talking to someone face to face. The adventure begins when different people start chasing after them to obtain The Secret of All Secrets. I absolutely loved the book and highly recommend it.
Silver Lake by Gerry Poulin
Absolutely Fantastic! Silver Lake is a gripping thriller that will grab your attention from the very first page. It is one of those rare novels that will ramp up your adrenaline, so when you reach the end you will have to wait to read another because nothing will compare.
Tom Farrell’s father has died and left Tom deep in debt. Tom is a teacher at an elementary school. Before Tom can even bury his father someone cuts the brake line to his truck. He gets into an accident and finds out someone has tried to kill him. Other bodies start turning up. In an ill fated attempt to mess with Tom, someone places a gun in a gym bag in his school locker and gets him fired. This is definitely a must read. Excellent book, excellent writing. I would love to see this book made into a movie. I very highly recommend it!

JD DeHart reviews Evelyn Blohm’s poetry collection Central Park Rhapsody and Oasis

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Book Review – Central Park: Rhapsody and Oasis by Eve J. Blohm
Review by JD DeHart
eveblohmfrontcover
Eve J. Blohm’s poetry collection, Central Park: Rhapsody and Oasis, offers up its central dichotomy as early as the title page.  This is a collection of poems that finds the oasis of nature, the rhapsody of contemplation, within an urban landscape.  Blohm’s poems push us into the mind and heart of nature contained in a cityscape.
Two features struck me as I read this collection.  First, I noted the way Blohm has included works from the past and the present.  She helpfully includes the dates for many of her poems, and this dating of the works served as a kind of biography in verse.  I was somewhat envious that I had not thought to do this with my own work over the years, noting those pieces from years ago and those more recently penned.

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