#readsal

[drearydaffodil]

How do I learn the

Language of the land

Of stars? These black

Holes are deaf and I

Am blind to the ways

Of wish fulfillment

I have an open heart

And open arms and

I am open, fill me

With the wonder

That wandered away

I've been waiting and

Weighing the blessings

And curses and keeping

My upper lip stiff, tell me

When is it my turn?

[adamantseal]

My Dearest Amanda, What has kept *you* sane over the past eleven months? Cordially, Sal 💘

I never liked leaving the house anyway 🤷‍♀️

J/k. I started some new homebound hobbies like gardening. I grew some awesome lettuce and carrots. Took my dog on a lot of walks. And I met with my therapist every week. She's been great. Thanks Sal 💙

[definegodliness]

Did you enjoy going to school? What specifically about it or why not?

Loved it. Always keen to learn, and always been cool with the teachers. I guess I was part of the joker crowd that walks that tight rope of being comedic relief and a nuisance, without overstepping those boundaries. You have to ace tests in order to have the teacher allow your shenanigans, and be focused and sincere when they are trying to teach important matter. I always liked those student/teacher dynamics. And I’m still in good contact with the teachers I’ve had. I was annoying though, in hindsight, judging by the memes. Because I was one of those people who’d answer “no, let’s go!”, whenever a tutor would ask, “any more questions?”, after a couple of seconds. I was always in a hurry to leave, smoke a cigarette and have some extra free time. I also was that guy who did not study, located at the bar frequently, and still would pass with ease. But I really do think the secret in that ‘party on’ mentality lies within taking notes and actually paying attention to the lectures. I’d have complete diaries filled with notes, whereas my classmates would have a couple of lines on laptop, trusting the online powerpoint to fill in the gaps of their memory. I cannot stress this enough for any student reading this: write shit down. Make your life easy. Also, I’ve made the best of friends during my school years. A group of 12 guys, going strong for over 15 years! Anything more than three is a lot after you’ve hit your thirties. So, yeah, school was awesome. It had a major positive impact on my life as well as a negative one, severely. But right now I feel like counting my blessings, when push comes to shove it was awesome, honestly.

[jonaswpoetry]

Hi, Jonas! Would you give us any update on your life that you'd care to give? Curious, is all.

Yikes, this was 2 weeks ago and I totally forgot to get around to answering!

Well, Natalie (my wife) arrived in the UK right at the end of October, so we’ve since celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas (our first spent together), NYE (our first together), and my birthday (first spent together). We moved into our own flat early November with our doggo Kenobi, and that’s lovely. It’s great to have a place to just ourselves. Settling in is kind of done, and Natalie has just started a new job, so we’re kinda just getting on with life together. It’s nice. It’s wonderful, really.

My novel has had little progress made for months now. I’ve just not been in the right headspace for it, or really had the time. I’m getting very close to finishing putting together a poetry collection, though. That’ll be cool, if I can get it all done.

Thanks for asking, Sal, I hope you’ve had a swell year thus far!

[solbacka]

[adamantseal]

the hollow of secret words

dark between suns rising

conceals the truth in our eyes

reflecting

stone by stone the

separation between worlds

is a call to voices

dying down the alley

to be heard

like birds throating

at the fresh pink

of morning

______________________

inspired by “Hold On, Hold On” by Neko Case

Send me a song & I’ll write you a poem.

[definegodliness]

What were you like as a kid?

Energetic. Creative. And prone to come up with elaborate fantasy-filled stories. Very talkative. I used to come up with songs on a whim and sing them for anyone that cared to listen. I was extroverted and untamed, often found running around naked in my neighbourhood. But mind you I wasn’t an unguided projectile, as long as my juvenile years lasted I’ve always been told I was ‘wise’ for my age. I was very caring, very emotionally involved with my surroundings. But what I loved most was to make people laugh. I was the class comedian all throughout elementary and high school. I was a good student, though easily bored; always on the verge of comical relief and being disruptive. A habitual line stepper that knew exactly when to stop. I think I was a good kid, though. 

[jonaswpoetry]

When's the last time you got on a roller coaster?

Years ago, pal, and I hated it. I’ve not been on one since that single time. I think extra adrenaline in a naturally anxious person did not mix well.