Art is all over the place

(he/she/they) Written word. Don't be afraid to drop an ask.

[lee-swallowtail]

Hellfire Theater

Welcome to Hellfire Theater.

A comic tells jokes on the stage.

He plays with his matches

And laughs as flame catches

On book after book

And page after page.

He breathes in the smell of the ashes.

The embers float into the pews.

And all of his fans

Simply reach out their hands,

Just wanting to feel something new.

How many liars

Perform in Hellfire?

My guess is at least 1 in 2.

But as long as the lights

Make the ashes snow white,

Then nobody cares what is true.

The smoke may intoxicate lovers

And suffocate parts of the mind.

The first sign of danger,

Two halves become strangers.

They trample the young,

And leave women behind.

The comic continues his setlist

While trying to squint through the haze.

He started this Hellfire Theater,

And now he is trapped on the stage.

How many liars

Were killed in Hellfire?

My guess isn't very exact.

But one is confirmed

To be fatally burned:

The man who was holding the match.

[lee-swallowtail]

Everybody should be allowed the opportunity of a stable boring corporate job. Oh dear, when the manager is out and nobody is calling, the gates to Heaven open up. So much time to think about whatever I want. It's like a blank page to write anything I want.

I can organize my expenses. Plan my next date night with my partner. Draft some new writing project. Reflect on my most vivid dreams. Dwell on the ways I can help others now that I'm finally in a place where I have extra time and money.

I have prayed and meditated(yes, both) more than I ever have. I have started reading books again. I visit the library regularly. My quality of life has increased exponentially. And I have finally felt as if my slow journey towards some form of radicalization could manifest into something real.

The opportunity of boredom amidst stability should be a right granted to all.

The fact that it is not says something terrible about society that I still don't want to fully process.

[lee-swallowtail]

Damn I've been writing a lot of limericks and limerick-esque poetry I gotta shake it up a bit.

[lee-swallowtail]

Hellfire Theater

Welcome to Hellfire Theater.

A comic tells jokes on the stage.

He plays with his matches

And laughs as flame catches

On book after book

And page after page.

He breathes in the smell of the ashes.

The embers float into the pews.

And all of his fans

Simply reach out their hands,

Just wanting to feel something new.

How many liars

Perform in Hellfire?

My guess is at least 1 in 2.

But as long as the lights

Make the ashes snow white,

Then nobody cares what is true.

The smoke may intoxicate lovers

And suffocate parts of the mind.

The first sign of danger,

Two halves become strangers.

They trample the young,

And leave women behind.

The comic continues his setlist

While trying to squint through the haze.

He started this Hellfire Theater,

And now he is trapped on the stage.

How many liars

Were killed in Hellfire?

My guess isn't very exact.

But one is confirmed

To be fatally burned:

The man who was holding the match.

[lee-swallowtail]

I remember one of the mission trip stories from when I was in Sunday school about this missionary who broke her leg or something similar. The point was she got injured badly. She ended up having to stay put with barely anything to do. To her, this was torturous, but the book we were reading praised it as a sign from God that she was meant to rest and take a break. That she was divinely interrupted from her busy life to lay in bed and simply think, read, and write.

Anyway, as a child, when I didn’t want to do something...

[lee-swallowtail]

Aliza and The Bride

There once was a girl named Aliza

Who rarely sought love or a smile.

She needed some space

To consider her place,

So she traveled the world for a while.

Aliza came back from her journey

With a sliver of light in her palm.

But nobody ran

To look into her hand.

It was if she had never been gone.

They said "Oh Aliza

You've been so mature!

We've never seen smiles

Tremendous as yours!

Now you're getting married.

We're exceedingly proud!

Hurry into your dress

And away with that frown."

Now this made no sense to Aliza.

Not only had she just arrived,

But she had discerned

(Long before her return)

That she didn't yet want to be wived.

Aliza crept into the venue,

And everything fell into place

In her room by the choir,

Occupied by the liar:

The bride that was wearing her face.

It's hair was tied back.

It was all dressed in white.

It reached out a hand,

And it asked for the light.

"I'll hold onto that for you.

Now take your bouquet."

But she fled with her soul

As the pipe organ played.

They sang "Oh Aliza

You've been so mature!

We've never seen smiles

Contagious as yours!

Now you're getting married.

We're glowing with pride!

What a much needed change.

What a beautiful bride!"

[lee-swallowtail]

Weekend alone

[lee-swallowtail]

Writing, writing, projecting, writing...

[lee-swallowtail]

Dear thinking machine

That gives advice to survive:

Should I question you?

[lee-swallowtail]

Back on my cheesy bullshit again gladly

[lee-swallowtail]

If I were a mayfly,

I would be happy,

Just so long as

You flew with me.

Love is eternal,

Love is a minute,

Love is as long

As it should be.

[lee-swallowtail]

When all your dreams are coming true, sleeping loses some of its appeal.

[lee-swallowtail]

Open Secret

Second only to the agoraphobia-inducing quad,

The amphitheater is a vulnerable place to be:

Line of sight pours over the top of the sunlit valley;

The stage, trapped helplessly at the bottom, is a stark brick-red.

But behind it, between solid brick and shady foliage,

Carpeted in mulch and furnished by wide-armed patio chairs,

Is a homey nook not unlike a master bedroom.

Anyone, even you, could see this if they paid attention,

Tried a different angle and really looked...

But nobody would.

[lee-swallowtail]

Me and you:

Play-by-ear and know-by-sight

Stopping at a set of tracks

to watch a train go by.

Me and you:

Pastel stripes and monochromes

Kicking rocks and watching birds,

continuing to roam.

You and me:

Iced coffee and hot chai tea

Killing endless time

with our feet up in a swing.

You and me:

Final girl and manic dream

Not sure what the future is,

but it for sure holds you and me.

[lee-swallowtail]

Ought

We dream of how things ought to be,

But our world is always flawed.

Have hope for man's humanity,

But human love does not bless all.

It may be "faithless" to form laws,

Where born dissenters they protect,

But reminisce, for come the Fall,

We find each soul is incorrect.

And whether or not we elect,

A darkness rises in our souls:

A tribal clique, so faux perfect

That always leaves one in the cold.

So every decade, we are sold

Which brethren's refuge to resist,

But as averted eyes grow old,

Neglected natures still persist.

Perhaps I am a nihilist.

One question fuels my apathy:

What signs from heaven have we missed

While clinging to what ought to be?

[lee-swallowtail]

My mom told me

"You should date a country guy.

They're hard working, and sweet,

And you'll feel safe."

I said I don't like country vibes.

My mom told me

"You should learn about football.

You'll gain a man's heart if

You like their sport."

I said sports sound kind of awful.

At every turn my mom told me

Another thing I'll want to be

I said "impossible," but that might be a lie.

With every scoff, every retort,

The issue wasn't farms or sports.

I simply wouldn't do all that for just a guy.

In my own time

I saw a flash of plaid and blue jeans,

Heard a twang too recognizable.

My heart skipped a beat.

I might like blue jeans.

In my own time

A whistle blew, a ball went into play,

And voices chanted.

I watched in a daze.

I go to every game.

At every turn in later years,

My scoffs and chuckles turned to cheers.

But if someone thinks I changed, I won't concurr.

I opened up my heart a bit

To see if someone's life would fit.

No, not for him, but I can try it all for her.

[lee-swallowtail]

This is my vending machine

But last time I used it, it just took the quarter.

Here. Let me buy something for you.

You don't need to pay me back.

I'm used to spending dime after dime

On its near worthless contents.

Please. Just allow me.

This thing is old and broken.

I don't want it to take your money.

No. I'm serious. Stop it.

Put your dollar away.

There's no guarantee you'll get it back.

Are you listening?

I will pay. After all,

This is my vending machine.