I am a poet
I am a poet
sometimes
words strung together
stitched into frayed concepts
maybe they lack meaning
saturated by deadened philosophies
I am a poet
hernia tearing further open on a warehouse floor
badgered at the store by customers and managers alike
sales floor, stockroom, or at the bar
I am a poet
five lines of cocaine
chugging a fifth of whiskey
and some wine
digestive tract arrested
nearly 36 hours out
bile in the toilet
spit on the floor
I am a poet
still learning harsh lessons at 41
no longer giving a shit
really
narcissistic stains on my brain
they killed the factories
but modern consciousness is still factory made
I am a poet
but a fool
at the same
time
Phantom future tense reflections
I want to be the Lizard-King
shedding skin to travel through time out of mind
son of the deep
derived from dry ocean salt crystals
an electromagnetic shaman dancing within the unified field led by gaslight
doors of perception bursting open the alternate levels between heaven and hell
it’s all a matter of time paradise lost can never be regained
for it’s all happening at once!
this wilderness of living on a moonlit drive through an ever-expanding night
Sexist trope love doll fantasy
Androgynous albino
a plethora of neon-colored wigs
zippered eyes
choosing what to see
whether imaginary or daybreak surgical deceit
operation blues
orifices aplenty
doesn’t matter where
just when
okay, not the hands… too bizarre
buckles for infliction
bound in straps
duct tape saggy chest with cigarette in the center
mouth smelling like cheap vodka and chemotherapy
said “thought you a were a muse…”
“No, I’m amused”
something unreal giggled
©2022 Mike Zone All rights reserved.
Mike Zone is the Editor in Chief of Dumpster Fire Press, the author of Shedding Dark Places (almost), One Hell of a Muse, A Farewell to Big Ideas, and Void Beneath the Skin, as well as coauthor of The Grind. frequent contributor to Alien Buddha Press and Mad Swirl. His work has been featured in: Horror Sleaze Trash, Better Than Starbucks, Piker Press, Punk Noir Magazine, Synchronized Chaos, Outlaw Poetry, and Cult Culture Magazine.