Poem – The Ectopic Epiphany

This poem ended up being the title piece for my second collection, The Ectopic Epiphany.

It’s a complex four-part poem, rather long as far as my work goes, and it evolved very quickly.  It’s interesting, but true: every time I read it, I get a little something new out of it.  I hope that’s not just me.

The Ectopic Epiphany

I.
An idea implants itself,
a minute too early
or a decade too late,
in the mind of an individual
whose life was moving along
just fine without it.

Its tendrils seek blood
and begin seeping life
from the consciousness
that spawned its pre-mature
birth to a world that was
just fine without it.

And so begins the battle:
A mind beside itself
with fear and hope,
pleasure and pain, as it wonders
“could this really come to be?
Can I make this real?”

II.
A mother knows when the child she carries
struggles with foot and fist and bone
or submits to the gentle sailboat tumble
and sleeps, awaiting nature alone
within a liquid cocoon, protected
but battered with constant quasi-blows.
Afloat in amniotic silence,
the child waits, and hopes, and grows.

This germ of human consciousness,
this miracle of creation’s power,
this parasite, this leech, reminds us
just how strong we must be to cower.
To let another choose our pathway,
to submit completely, to choose
to go the way another leads us,
but lead the leader in silent ruse.

Just as the deepest of new ideas
leads the dreamer on a painful quest:
To space, or deepest ocean trenches,
inside the mind, or, young man, west!
This germ of human creativity,
this miracle of God’s image in us
this parasite, this leech of energy
is the genesis of all that ever was.

III.
Refine, rewrite, resuscitate,
design, deny, then deviate,
confine, connect and correlate
these thoughts that form a dirty slate

Unfold, unveil, unintentionally
embolden, fail, then functionally
retold, embrace the rationally
tunneling vulgaris fides* known nationally.

IV.
A man who knows the truth
is labeled “heretic”
by a crusty, crumbling leader
of a crusty, crumbling sect.
His proofs are shot down
his reasoning muddied
his open-mindedness shunned
by the empty-headed masses,
who watch with awe and shame
mixed with dreadful joy
as a man who knows the truth
burns alive, chained to his papers.

If you enjoyed that poem, you may like the collection.  It’s available in print on Amazon or Createspace.  I’m also considering making it available on the Kindle and other e-readers.  Let me know if that interests you.

Poem – Elixir

Here is a poem from my first collection, Sanity is Boring.

It is an odd poem.  I originally wrote it for my wife, and considered it a love poem.  Or, at least, a heartfelt ode to her.

She didn’t get it.  And still doesn’t.

So, I’ve reassessed it and… think she’s crazy.  See what you think:

Elixir

Should I confine
In drops of time
The gifts received and undeserved
It would, I think
Comprise a drink
To quench the fiercest thirst
To satiate
And fill the plate
Of the most insatiable appetites
To gently sting
And spread my wings
To lift on borrowed wind, to flight
May I recall
Before I fall
The liquid that bubbled life
And heartily share
That blessed snare
The devoted warden formed, my wife
If you like that poem, you may like the collection. You can pick up the print version at Amazon or Createspace. I hope to get them out in Kindle soon too. Let me know if that interests you.

My Latest Collection is Now Available!!!

I’m proud and totally jazzed to be able to announce that my latest collection of poems, essays and short stories is now available for purchase through CreateSpace and Amazon!

If you’re a fan of what I do on this blog, I have no qualms about highly recommending Coping With Terminal Stillness:

Coping With Terminal Stillness

Click to Read!

Coping With Terminal Stillness: Poems, Short Stories and Other Broken Things is my third collection of verse and prose, and was just released January 17th, 2012.

It’s an interesting combination of poetry, essays and short stories revolving around three themed sections: Creation, Terminal Stillness, and Random Acts.

My goal with this collection was to marry all three of the aspects of my writing that this blog focuses on in some sort of cohesive whole.

So, the first section, Creation, includes poems based around nature themes and my view of the outside world.  Then, I also included a short story I wrote about nature running amok, called Mosquitoes.

The second section, Terminal Stillness, focuses more introspectively, or my view of the inside world, if you will.  The poems in this section are a bit darker and more intense, mostly with an autobiographical leaning.  Then I included a series of essays from the Timeless Principles posts on this blog because their focus is on self-improvement and development of the inner person.

Finally, the third section, Random Acts, is a loosely defined hodgepodge of poems and two short stories that involve random events or a loss of control.

I’m thrilled with the result, and I hope you find something of interest and value as well!

Here is a sample including the first twenty pages of the book, which gives you the full table of contents as well as the entire first section, Creation:

Coping With Terminal Stillness Sample

Please consider buying a copy for yourself or a friend if anything in the sample moves you!  Click on the cover to buy direct from the publisher.

As an alternative to buying directly from the publisher, especially if you’re an Amazon Prime member, or purchase a lot from them and can save on shipping, my books are also available through Amazon:

You’ll also notice a new page up in the navigation menu above labeled “Book Store”.  I have two other collections from 2008 and 2010 that you may be interested in as well.  Check them out!

Please also feel free to share this post with anyone and everyone who appreciates good independent publishing efforts.  We can use all the help we can get!