The Words On The Wall
Can a man ever know what he cannot recall? Not at all, not at all! said the words on the wall. How is the man, when he has no intent? _He is spent, he is…
What's in a Name?
My name is Adam Pierce and I’ve been told a hundred times that it is a strong name. They tell me at the Chicory County AA meetings after we disband. They tell…
Moscow Needs a Cowgirl
I was waiting for the soda jerk to make me a second root beer. The first one had exploded out of its paper cup like a bad science project of baking soda and…
Dark Names, and Dark History
Seated on a sandbag that felt more like concrete, Capt Dogra listened to the two grunts keeping watch, “The Dark Wizard is out again.” His buddy shrugged, “The…
Who Are You?
‘Just be yourself,’ they say. He thinks it’s a load of crap, but people are too busy being trying their best to be inspired by that damned quote to agree with…
What Man Hath Wrought
Humans have terrible issues with identity. From the moment of your birth and to the point of death, you desperately pursue some lasting sense of identification…
The Amnesiac
The people seem to think me a prophesied hero. Some sort of mythical figure, here to save them all. Could it be me? Truly? I think not, and yet so many others…
The Ballroom
Once every month, a silent man in a crimson cloak walks the hallways of the House, delivering invitations to the Ball. He brings it to those of all classes and…
Salamander's Gold
Cool water slid over bared feet, albeit at a comfortably shallow depth. Todd’s ears neglected the noise from his friends’ carrying on, deferring instead to his…
What's on the Flip Side of This Coin?
She was staring back at me, seemingly transfixed, an illusion created by the barrier between us. Perfect oval eyes, with just the right amount of grey mixed…
Rain will fall
Have you ever heard of the boy who was lost, His Identity remains no more than a cross, And was his father too quick to dismiss, A mother’s son would always be…
Before 824
He had a name before. He had never forgotten that. Long before today, 824 had been special. A shame he wasn’t allowed to tell them who he really was. 824’s…
Robbery
I walk out of the bank, happy to have finally closed my account. I had had nearly a hundred thousand dollars in there,as the bank seemed like a secure choice…
The Phoenix
My skin is gold - an armor of pride, a shell smithed by the raging storm. Precise angles on my face abide the rule of nature from which I was born. My blood…
Brains are for Crying
My sardonic laugh followed my cell phone to the floor. Why had I begun a monologue about killing zombie hairdressers with hair straighteners and electric…
Disfigured
I lay motionless in the dark alleyway while my life was hanging by a thread. Sog was looking down at me, satisfied with his work. If I showed even an inkling…
My Name is Not Synonymous With the Goddamned Situation in Africa
I am the first child my mother cradled in her arms and loved unconditionally; the first to accept the warmth of her bosom, and depended on it for sustenance…
Melted Mirror (a poem)
The mirror melts before my eyes, Silver sludge spreads on the floor, Reflecting back who I am no more, Why should this pan of glass, Get to tell me who is me…
My Friend, My Sub-Routines
Discombobulated protest yielded to newly acquired sub-routines, and Violet modulated the flow of fuel, adjusted the air intake manifold, and smoothed the…
Laying on the Floor
On the bare floor of the now cleared out apartment, Valarie lay as still as she could. Her clothes had felt cumbersome and false, projections of assumed…