Prisoner Express Poetry Anthology December 2008 Volume 3 Thank you to the following contributors: Marcus “The shackled flesh hangs heavy from the bones of Bailey, Timothy Baker, Ryan Barber, Theresa Battles, this sinner” - Ross Bonilla James Bauhaus, James Lee Beasley, Michael Belle, Jeremy Biddle, Bobby Biffel, Ross Bonilla, Ruben The shackled flesh hangs heavy from the bones of this Camberos, Thomas Cannup, William Chaplar, John E. sinner Christ, A. J. Crate Jr., Dana Crawford, Darrell, William And we weep for the stigmata children H. Davis Jr., Cecil Everett, Leroy ―Doc‖ Floyd, David Bloodied with the kiss of God Freestone, Cristobal Garcia, Brandon Lee Garvin, Gary Listening to the calling Gilbert, M.A. Glaros, Gary Gregory, George Hamilton, The wasted barren head space that only the wicked Tim Hampton, Charlie Harbert, Stanley Howard, perceive Kenneth Humphries, Dr. Richard Sunday Ifill, Gary Bowing low to the silent gods that once held sway over Jimenez, Johntrwell Johnson, A. Knight, Francisco J. man Lopez, Charles Marques, Johnny Angel Martinez, Jason The ancient leaf crumbled to yellow dust Moreno, Clifford M. Nowell, Juan Ochoa, Rickey Breathing the melange of illusions Pearson, Chantéll P. Price, Gerald B. Prisock, Ray We dream of lovers Reyes, Jeremy Rios, Brian Roberts, W.B.S., Sadd-Boy, Folded upon each other Bill Sims, Uri Small, Sr., Paul Smith, Jackie R. Sollars, Lethargically the willow men cure their offspring by the Starkim, Peter Stebbins, Charles Strickland, Anwar flame Tapia, Robbie D. Thomas, Jonathan Thompson, Brian Pulling the nectared sap from their tear filled eyes Joseph Wake, Reginald West, Jimmy White, Deandre Slowly the manger cracks Williams, J. Wilson, Ben Winter, Kenneth Woodard Frayed by the passage of the owl We surrender our love to the dark We received so much great poetry for Anthology 3 An offering to appease the wicked that we couldn’t fit it all in here and are saving it for Praying that somewhere it will be returned magnified Anthology 4. Anyone who sent poems in for In hope that we have not become the vain child that Anthology 3 has been signed up to receive Anthology throws their pearls before the swine 4, although we encourage you to send in more! Curled in the webbed corner we slice the heart from the center Feathers - Ben Winter Bleeding the last liquid love that runs red Head cradled by the maggot we slumber I don't know why the caged bird sings Dreaming of the last taste of flesh, the last feel of teeth But I do know why captive parrots pluck their wings The last sensation that you were once mine to hold Stripped of the freedom of the air Filtered, her voice slips through the thoughts that bind They choose to live their life bare me Hooked on her tongue she pulls me That plumage so decorative and bright Closer and closer we become Serves no purpose under false blanket nights Only to be separated again It only reminds of all that has passed In the midst of bars that never lack Mad Mojo - Gary Gregory Perhaps caged birds sang sad songs In a mausoleum I meander But stupid humans were wrong all along With monsters behind the mirror In thinking that all the chirps In a graveyard of ghosts I gather Were anything but mournful dirge The ghouls appearing clearer In the cemetery of smoke I choke in I don't know why the caged bird sings Under its curse of corpses and caskets But I do know why he plucks his wings My past casts its pale face ―death mask‖ For at least while he plucks he's occupied It's over and done rotting in earth With a task that brings sick pride Resurrect it with painful reminders and give it rebirth What strength does the ground have to offer And without a chance to fly or soar Other than a welcome coffin? He has no use for feathers anymore In the blue sky boy before I was broken Haunted... haunting... hunted and hung 2 In the madness was the marked man I'd become Page A Haiku of Violence - John E. It's not like you wanted me anyway! Hate. I know hate. It follows my Christ trail, Farther Than Deep - Chantéll P. It fuels my desires and serves me Hunger Sated Price quite well Talons slash wildly For all my enemies I must need Winter mourns warm summer Farther than deep… destroy earth Seeking the surface to scream And with no guilt shall your pain be Bellies filled with blood of tears on a dead angels face alloyed. I Taste Cinders And the taste of leftover love! Tempers spring aflame For nothing exists which I do not Sweat drips across taut sinews Proclaiming states of hollow sound perceive, Reason burned to ash And shallow mirrors And never again shall you ever I Wonder What It Means —places of sand rivers deceive; Cold hands touch still breast where mothers smile and For the dust of your bones shall Winter‘s maw swallows dead play reindeer games… cushion my bread meat Farther than— As onward I hunt those who fear me Death laughs wantonly Deep… with dread Whipped and Tortured Deep… Crucified hands fixed Deep! My Nemesis - Jimmy White Back lashed red with swollen welts Deep and festering Can you tell that the page is torn? Dermatography Rally for a farther seep to the Falling to pieces from the misery Jack surface…. written within. Ripped throat jetstream Every word full of feelings, of pain, Each throb a pulse of life lost A Cimmerian Heart - Brian Joseph that flow in the blood, Knives cut butter and meat Wake That pumps through this lonely, A Promise of Hope broken heart. Bitten tongues run not Kill, and kill, and then kill again— Don't feel no sympathy for me, Eye to Eye, teeth behind lips My mind is persistent in its refrain Only for the page on which this Compassion always reigns For here in the dark I've gained new was written. friends For the misery, and pain, that feels Conquered - Timothy Baker Who through their means achieve everyday of my life, their ends. Was caused by my own worst Inside my hollow chest enemy Hate has conquered all the rest Lies beget lies which seemingly die My Self. Abhor me all you like For they cannot be seen with external Very few could stand the light eyes In the Arms of Hate - Timothy Everyone that you throw away But echoes of ripples of them shall Baker Languishes here day after day appear Only a few survive this hell Revealing the truth which we Lying in the arms of hate Some never leave their cells rightfully fear. Enfolded in her cold embrace Take a look around and see I have become resigned of late This is what you made of me Love? What is love? A flirtatious By the inevitableness of my fate Hard as stone, cold as steel whim Every night hate's all I feel That man things profess to alleviate I slack my thirst from a vile well Why do you make me suffer sin, Tainted forever with the lies they tell In a hell like no other? Given to them through an unnatural My heart and soul must endure the Let me look one last time at the sky curse; hell Let me find some peace and die A poison which they have been fed Of being trapped within this cell Tears all dry and gone away from their birth. Only hate again today Surrendering slowly to the pain Leave me alone to die in peace Blocking all else from my brain I only want this pain to cease Struggling not to go insane Shut the door and walk away Knowing I can never reclaim From my eye a tear gleams Amends - Brandon Lee Garvin I’m Just a Mouse - Rickey Pearson Over my lost and wasted dreams Justice is lost or so it seems Back down memory lane, again and I‘m just a mouse trying to find a way Deep inside I can hear the screams again… through this labyrinth life Too fast to stop, to slow to begin searching for the answers to Everyday I must suppress Slow pain remaining, it‘s not the end questions I know not and of The reality of my growing madness Gotta choose who are your foes and course the cheese. The trappings Living in this empty blackness who are your friends of this maze have me in a Born from despair and sadness Where‘d it all take you to, what road constant daze, so all I do is then? wander and here and there I hope Surviving on the strength my hate has Why did they send you for dividends tests of time that I‘ve withstood fed in the Penn? up to now, beyond have prepared Tossing and turning on my narrow And who gives a damn about me for this rat race that I continue bed memories to lend? to run. Tormented by the life I dread What kind of blend amends this cold A race from start to end with smell Knowing it will end when I'm dead hearted sin? my only clue. I race headlong Want me to ask you this again and into walls and now headlong into World of Stone - Gary Gregory again? you and reality. Screaming, with I said, ―How the hell do we make a jolt I come to the day of flesh I am cold, in a world of stone, amends?‖ and blood where skies get blue The sun a vague memory, warmth a and gray and blue again.