Didn’t Make it By Dan Provost

 

The signs were too far to read.

Never mind being understood.

 

Sold yourself in various ways,

convinced that soul would be cleansed…

 

Only if you could find that simple existential path.

 

That lead to becoming a hero.

 

But, as Pink Floyd said once, You reached

for the secret too soon,

 

and the various clues on lonesome,

fixated roads.

 

Never provided a satisfied answer

toward a failure

you knew was on the

horizon.

 

Dan Provost's poetry has been published throughout the small press for a number of years. Some recent publications include: Ariel Chart, Poetical Review, Merak Magazine, Oddball Magazine, Deuce Coupe, Misfit Magazine, the Rye Whiskey Review, Cajun Mutt Press and the Dope Fiend Daily. He has two books coming out in 2020. Under the Influence of Nothingness by Kung Fu Treachery Press and Rattle of a Realizer, published by Whiskey City Press. He lives in Berlin, New Hampshire with his wife Laura and dog Bella.

OUR CHILDREN ARE MAKING A REVOLUTION By Strider Marcus Jones

in this static show

of status quo

political voices

make their choices

in the game

but most remain

loyal or abstain

and stunt their reputation

for self-gratification

raping the have nots

with subtle riots

of troughed opinion

like glove puppets of elite dominion. 

 

these suits of higher suits

who keep the masses murmurs mute

ignore the real ground

crumbling round

financial towers of glass and steel

whose machinations illegally steal

the oxygen of dreams

from street streams.

this summer cities burned

and some plasma tv's got returned 

by groups

in operatic loots

but i remember them

stealing rice and bottled water

while Number 10

shouted Order! Order!

so they nabbed jazzy trainers to fit in

as a boy dad took nappies for his son to shit in.

it was a grain of gravy from the pile you've got

not even a scoop

of the soup

from the glimmering pot

of silver and gold

simmering on your stove. 

then came the justice of oligarchy's retribution

sending these children to jail

while the bankers and hackers’ own trail

of looting and intrusion

went unpunished or was given bail.

our children are making a revolution

and live in a language

that we can't damage

above our rhetoric and contaminated bones 

on their ipods and mobile phones 

in their own wisdom

and fields of vision

making new tunes

and runes

without the rules

of serfdoms fools

and privileged jewels.

Strider Marcus Jones – is a poet, law graduate and former civil servant from Salford, England with proud Celtic roots in Ireland and Wales. He is the editor and publisher of Lothlorien Poetry Journal https://lothlorienpoetryjournal.blogspot.com/. A member of The Poetry Society, his five published books of poetry  https://stridermarcusjonespoetry.wordpress.com/ reveal a maverick, moving between cities, playing his saxophone in smoky rooms.

  

His poetry has been published in numerous publications including: The Huffington Post USA; The Stray Branch Literary Magazine; Crack The Spine Literary Magazine;The Lampeter Review and Dissident Voice.

Brick Shadows By Jake St. John

The old town 

don't look 

the same 

any more 

everyone's left

and split 

moved on 

or died 

I've read

more obituaries

than box scores 

this year

even the tavern 

has changed hands 

the music 

still plays 

but just 

a little 

slower 

and just 

a bit 

sadder.

  

Jake St. John lives in the woods on the edge of the Salmon River. He is the author of several collections of poetry including Lips Leave Scars (with Jenn Knickerbocker, Whiskey City Press, 2023) Ring of Fog (Holy and Intoxicated Publications, 2022), Night Full of Diamonds (Whiskey City Press, 2021), and Lost City Highway (A Jabber Publication, 2019). He is the editor of Elephant and is considered an original member of the New London School of poetry. His poems have appeared in print and online journals around the world."