Poetry –
I breathe you in,
filling my lungs
with the longings of life
expressed through sharp, crisp meaning
from the deepest recesses
of those who do not fear
pouring out their hearts
so that men such as I
can reach the realization
that all of us
bleed the same from our wounded veins…
or, even if they do have fear,
these poets still brave the act
of penning the words
that set their experiences free,
and in so doing
help me to also escape.
Poetry –
You have no chains, no binds,
no boundaries,
no restrictions
that cannot be overcome,
and I love you for
the courage of raw emotion
that brings tears to my eyes,
smiles to my face,
and high electric fervor
pumping through the neurons
that become excited in my mind.
Poetry –
Yes! I use the word love
openly
while singing this ode in your honor,
for you have provided unto me
insights and understandings
about the conditions of this life
that otherwise seem
existential and unanswerable.
Poetry –
You arouse the lust of my loins
in ways that transcend
simple sexual cravings…
indeed, you offer an opening
along the path
toward enlightenment,
transubstantiation, nirvana,
bliss, and holy ascension…
you teach the way
of the Tao,
of balance, of harmony,
of rhythm, of accord,
of connectedness
with the pure natural flow.
Poetry –
You are the gentle waters
of absolution
and apotheosis;
you are the crystallized vision
that brings the scattered pieces
into a unified wholeness;
you are the epitome
of Oneness, of The Word,
of Genesis reverberations,
of the Source point
from which
all beautiful possibilities
emerge in righteous splendor.
What an honor to have two of my poems included in the inaugural issue of Words Surfacing which debuted this week. A remarkable project that is the brainchild of the great poet, Kushal Poddar. The compilation that he has put together in this first edition simply blew me away when I read it. I’d been eagerly awaiting the release ever since he accepted my work some weeks back, and such patient anticipation proved to pay off with rich reward.
Words by such powerhouse poets as Donna Snyder, Julie Kim Shavin, Sana Mohammed, James Diaz, Wale Owoade, Ajise Vincent, Barbara Maat, Andrew Bellon, Nalini Priyadarshni, and many, many others adorn the pages and make for what has been, in my humble opinion, the best journal to be released in the past couple of months.
The poem here at 17Numa today “An Ode to the Word” is one that I wrote the morning after Words Surfacing was released as I sat on the front porch with my mind still abuzz with enthusiasm and inspiration. It was written as a testimony to the power that poetry has had in my life over the past year…a power that only continues to grow as it is strengthened through the magic pens of my contemporaries. I feel blessed to be in such fine company.
Please, I encourage everyone to read the new issue here:
I would also like to say thank you to Claudia Downs of Fauna Quarterly for including my poem “Raw Electric Waves” in what was another debut issue that came out this week. I have a great deal of respect for the time and energy that editors and publishers must put into these projects. It is always wonderful whenever new literary venues go live, and I hope that Claudia’s venture is met with great success. Be sure to also read the poems written by my good friend Heath Brougher who it was that pointed me in the direction of Fauna Quarterly last month.
Thank you to everyone who stops by 17Numa to keep up with what is going on with my writing. It means more than I can say. The site had over 250 views yesterday, which was the highest total yet, and that took the total views past the 8,000 mark since launching earlier this year. One of the most popular resources at the site is the Links Page which features a list I’ve put together of over 150 literary magazines, journals, blogs, and zines for anyone who might be seeking publications where their work can be submitted. The page can be reached via the Links tab at the top of the site.
I’m always eager to meet new people, so if you’d like to connect, please feel free to contact me on Facebook and/or Twitter.
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar
17Numa 