The Nox Anthology - Dark Poets Against Abuse
| Further Works of the Dark Poets The poets whose work appears on this page have agreed that in lieu of payment, a regular contribution will be made to CASA (Community Action Stops Abuse), a safe haven organization for women and children working to free themselves from violent and abusive environments. Their powerful works combine artistry with commitment, and make a statement that violence in our society will not be accepted or tolerated. _______________________________________________________________________ |
Photo (c) 2005 Malcolm Deeley
some love...
by Benjamin Coulter
they huddled together in the darkness
a giant mass bodies identities
grappling and intermingling
guided by nothing but the fear
of being aware
of being afraid
of being empty
'i've done more drugs than god'
he slurred and spilt his sacred
wine on all too revealing blouse
every movement of their blind ghost dance
revealing insecurities and limp forgotten past
the master of ceremonies
toasted a warm mixture of blood
and urine freshly squeezed
from dying suns
'there are towers in the east
that proclaim our domination
towers in the west to fence in
the power of our steel will
the ancients were never so great as this
the old lords never could have dreamed
of our mighty tower in the south
that reaches
and overshadows the heavens'
he never speaks of northern towers
for if they were mentioned
someone might awaken
someone might begin to understand...
and at this
bartenders mute cracked grin
begin handing out
round after round on the house
they reap their rewards
when the dreamers die
the house always gets theirs in the end
by Benjamin Coulter
they huddled together in the darkness
a giant mass bodies identities
grappling and intermingling
guided by nothing but the fear
of being aware
of being afraid
of being empty
'i've done more drugs than god'
he slurred and spilt his sacred
wine on all too revealing blouse
every movement of their blind ghost dance
revealing insecurities and limp forgotten past
the master of ceremonies
toasted a warm mixture of blood
and urine freshly squeezed
from dying suns
'there are towers in the east
that proclaim our domination
towers in the west to fence in
the power of our steel will
the ancients were never so great as this
the old lords never could have dreamed
of our mighty tower in the south
that reaches
and overshadows the heavens'
he never speaks of northern towers
for if they were mentioned
someone might awaken
someone might begin to understand...
and at this
bartenders mute cracked grin
begin handing out
round after round on the house
they reap their rewards
when the dreamers die
the house always gets theirs in the end
signs
by Benjamin Coulter
Buddha had a nightmare vision:
naked neon women advertising
naked plastic girls
Krishna awakens cold sweat weeping
even death couldn't keep jesus asleep
Allah please sing your lullaby
calm the waves of this night
call your children home, sweet Yahweh
there's gonna be one hell of a storm
(c) 2005 Benjamin Coulter
love in the afternoon
by Benjamin Coulter
i could show you
the root of the sacred tree
i could show you
would you see
i could lead you
to where no man can go
i could lead
could you follow
the depths of a truer sea
a lighter me and three
hands to heal that misery
reveal that see through mystery
oracles and their vision riddles
of no beginning never ending
passion climax chaos middles
paths that wind through blind man orgies
in crumbling marble houses
of gods who barter false divinities
you were always there
i know because i knelt beside you
(c) 2005 Benjamin Coulter
by Benjamin Coulter
Buddha had a nightmare vision:
naked neon women advertising
naked plastic girls
Krishna awakens cold sweat weeping
even death couldn't keep jesus asleep
Allah please sing your lullaby
calm the waves of this night
call your children home, sweet Yahweh
there's gonna be one hell of a storm
(c) 2005 Benjamin Coulter
love in the afternoon
by Benjamin Coulter
i could show you
the root of the sacred tree
i could show you
would you see
i could lead you
to where no man can go
i could lead
could you follow
the depths of a truer sea
a lighter me and three
hands to heal that misery
reveal that see through mystery
oracles and their vision riddles
of no beginning never ending
passion climax chaos middles
paths that wind through blind man orgies
in crumbling marble houses
of gods who barter false divinities
you were always there
i know because i knelt beside you
(c) 2005 Benjamin Coulter
'you never should have come here'
she cried
so glad that he finally arrived
so glad the darkness hid the darkness
of her eyes
as tentacles called selfish love
clung fast to fresh meat mind
and they began the dance
called we feed on childish need
they are not so much vampires
as just filling an unnecessary role
in collective repressed conciousness
they're not dangerous
just unaware
fucking to feel
something someone somehow anything at all
another coupling:
'hey baby come here often'
'no i usually come in the bathroom'
and so their dance begins
some call it
being the ego observing the ego
seeking an ego to kill
is it really numbness or
ignorance of true feeling
the endless dancers of night
each distinguished by slight
impotent differences
all together combining to retrace
deluded patterns of ill conception
'you might as well be me'
he she they we it screams and screams
'errr wait
are you
me
am i'
some love is abortion
(c) 2005 Benjamin Coulter
she cried
so glad that he finally arrived
so glad the darkness hid the darkness
of her eyes
as tentacles called selfish love
clung fast to fresh meat mind
and they began the dance
called we feed on childish need
they are not so much vampires
as just filling an unnecessary role
in collective repressed conciousness
they're not dangerous
just unaware
fucking to feel
something someone somehow anything at all
another coupling:
'hey baby come here often'
'no i usually come in the bathroom'
and so their dance begins
some call it
being the ego observing the ego
seeking an ego to kill
is it really numbness or
ignorance of true feeling
the endless dancers of night
each distinguished by slight
impotent differences
all together combining to retrace
deluded patterns of ill conception
'you might as well be me'
he she they we it screams and screams
'errr wait
are you
me
am i'
some love is abortion
(c) 2005 Benjamin Coulter
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Desert
by Ria Sarno
The singing in the center discord has slipped into the notes because
of evasion, evasion, I do not want to know what my body tells me
and so the song plays it plays and drowns the spaces with a flood
a tumult hissing of broken sound the perfect distraction like a wind
desert sand that blasts away all form into shapes that shift with
every touch but swallow all, all give me to the wind and the music
my face sanded away to a pitted but composed dignity an oblique
indicator I cannot hear any more.
(c) 2005 Ria Sarno
by Ria Sarno
The singing in the center discord has slipped into the notes because
of evasion, evasion, I do not want to know what my body tells me
and so the song plays it plays and drowns the spaces with a flood
a tumult hissing of broken sound the perfect distraction like a wind
desert sand that blasts away all form into shapes that shift with
every touch but swallow all, all give me to the wind and the music
my face sanded away to a pitted but composed dignity an oblique
indicator I cannot hear any more.
(c) 2005 Ria Sarno
Metal
by Ria Sarno
The perfect man a steel hand and a glassy smile and no matter how
hard I strike him he will never splinter cool to the touch with a
ringing quality that tolls deep, deep in the hollows where he is not
quite sure he is alive but really assurance is born of such levels
of arrogance and sensitivity's crucible is edged with a ring of
molten doubt the teeth open and a bell like sound issues I had no
idea that he could speak.
(c) 2005 Ria Sarno
by Ria Sarno
The perfect man a steel hand and a glassy smile and no matter how
hard I strike him he will never splinter cool to the touch with a
ringing quality that tolls deep, deep in the hollows where he is not
quite sure he is alive but really assurance is born of such levels
of arrogance and sensitivity's crucible is edged with a ring of
molten doubt the teeth open and a bell like sound issues I had no
idea that he could speak.
(c) 2005 Ria Sarno
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
| We thank the contributors to this page, and ask that the copyrights of these creators be respected. Do not reprint or distribute any of the poetry or artwork displayed here without permission. |
Benjamin Coulter was one of the swiftest to respond, and most generous with his work, of the poets
appearing in this benefit collection. His poetry, paintings and drawings may be viewed in depth on his
website, Memories, Dreams, and Other Misplaced Things. He lists some of his influences as William S.
Burroughs, Fyodor Dostoevsky, E.A. Poe, Jack Kerouac, and Lao Tzu.
appearing in this benefit collection. His poetry, paintings and drawings may be viewed in depth on his
website, Memories, Dreams, and Other Misplaced Things. He lists some of his influences as William S.
Burroughs, Fyodor Dostoevsky, E.A. Poe, Jack Kerouac, and Lao Tzu.
Ria Sarno was born in 1977 in Tijuana, Mexico. She is the author of Jaula (Cage), a volume
of blank verse in Spanish. She has prepared her own English translations for the poems
presented on this page. Comments and inquiries may be sent to her e-mail address:
sarno@juno.com.
of blank verse in Spanish. She has prepared her own English translations for the poems
presented on this page. Comments and inquiries may be sent to her e-mail address:
sarno@juno.com.
| OR |