Author: 17numa

Jump Point

~ 17numa ~ 4 Comments
Taking one step at a time
toward the ultimate destination…
Planting one seed at a time
to help replenish the scorched earth…
Laying one brick at a time
to build a sturdy foundation…
 
When I am tired
I will work even harder…
When I am weary
I will draw energy from the source…
When I am sick
I will find healing through The Word…
 
It may very well be true
that slow and steady
wins the race…
but a quantum leap
from time to time
sure as hell couldn’t hurt…
Thank you to Carl Sharpe at VerseWrights for publishing my poem “90 Day Ride” yesterday. Carl is a good man, and I’m always happy to contribute in the poetry community he has set up there. He also asked for and accepted a few more of my poems which will appear sometime in the future. He’s the type of editor I trust with my work…whenever he decides to run it is fine with me.
 
Thanks also to Firestone Feinberg at Verse-Virtual for accepting three poems to appear next month in the October issue. Another great community of poets there…a lot of writers whose work I admire and read regularly. So it’s great to be welcomed to the site and FB group.
 
A funny thing happened a little while earlier on the other side of the ledger. I sent a batch of poems to a new venue that recently opened up a call for submissions, and I received a response from a young editor letting me know that my use of the word “heavenesque” in one of the pieces made him want to vomit. I got a kick out of that. I sent another batch to give him a second crack at it. He asked me to please not submit again. The kid has chutzpah…he’s obviously an asshole, but he’s got chutzpah.
 
I’ve been working on the Blogs Page here at 17Numa the past several days, compiling a list of contemporary writers and artists with links to their personal websites, blogs, archives, social media accounts, or other addresses. It’s been inspiring to look over the work of all the talented people whom I’ve added so far. Thank you to everyone who has sent me your links, and also to those I’ve reached out to. Anyone who would like to have their site added to the page, feel free to continue sending your information my way…I’m happy to take a look at it. It’s my hope to create a resource that includes a wide range of great artists from all fields…something representative of a Renaissance, maybe?….
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar
 
P.S.
Please feel free to contact me here at the site, or to connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. The more I feed on the creative energy, the more I need…

Insomnia by Scott Thomas Outlar

~ 17numa ~ Leave a comment

Thank you to Dai Shotter at Your One Phone Call for publishing “Insomnia” earlier this month. A poem of reflection upon a time so long ago…

youronephonecall's avatarYour One Phone Call

I stared
at red digits
on the alarm clock
for months,
slowly going crazy
as I tried to fall asleep.
I turned around in the bed,
trying to find respite
down at the foot board.
I read books trying to become drowsy,
but wound up ripping them apart and
smashing them into walls
when the effort proved futile.
I left the red digits behind
as I moved into another empty room
and tried to sleep in the bed there.
My mind kept bending, contorting,
edging out nearer to the abyss.
It must have cracked at some point while
all alone in that house
with no sleep at night for months on end,
only here and there
catching a few winks during daylight hours.
It was a nasty time in my life.
I think I was insane for awhile,
but, being alone, it is difficult to say for sure.
It was…

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One Way Path

~ 17numa ~ 4 Comments
Jesus transformed water into wine
in honor of his blood brother Dionysus,
which is quite nice for anyone
who wants to drink deeply of the madness
inherent in this world
whilst they buzz on high in the revelry of chaos.
 
But such kicks only last for so long,
and at some point the underlying issues
of suffering and sorrow
which are part of the basic human condition
must be addressed with higher vibration solutions
than can be found in the bottle or chalice.
 
Buddha had a plan for such problems
centered around the eightfold path
which basically amounted to maintaining mindfulness
in all actions, speech, and intentions.
While this path can be nice to walk down for awhile,
unfortunately, at its core, it borders too near
the edge of nihilism, negation of the world, and extremist aestheticism;
and, at the end of the day, is simply a playground
for children to frolic upon before they are ready
to embrace both dualities of this life experience in full.
 
The River Tao, me thinks, is the way to go in this regard.
The waves rise and fall.
Life events flow and flux.
New problems present themselves, followed by answers through adaptation.
From out each chaotic turbulence, a new state of order emerges.
The Tao embraces it all.
The Tao is a feast and a fast.
The Tao is the future and the past.
The Tao is the constantly unfolding present moment.
I’ve spent the past few days compiling links from many writers and artists to fashion the growing list on the new Blogs Page here at 17Numa. Thank you to everyone who has sent me links thus far…the open call is ongoing…if your website or blog is not up yet, feel free to drop me a line and send your links my way. I’m having a blast going through the work of so many talented people. It really helps me to remain centered in a creative space of energy if I’m constantly immersed in excellent words and art.
 
It is my hope that the page will be used as a resource for artists of all fields to check out the work of their contemporaries. To be inspired. To be set on fire with the passionate fervor of Renaissance-induced intoxication.
 
Let us bow our heads…no, wait…better yet…let us dance…
 
If you’d like to get in touch, you can contact me here at 17Numa; you can also connect with me on Facebook and Twitter. Keep me inspired, my friends, and I will do my best to return the favor.
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar

Full Steam Ahead…Open Call for Blog Links

~ 17numa ~ 1 Comment
Night falls heavy
beneath a velvet lavender sky
 
Cotton candy clouds
puff open to weep like willows
 
Liquid honey gold
draining from the crystalline source
 
Precipitation in melted waves
caresses skin as a soothing balm
 
Gone the malady of worry
Gone the sorrow and remorse
 
Something joyous this way comes
pulsing primal plasma kisses
 
Cradled comfort maple singsong
soothing from the lips of sirens
 
The lost art of love
helping to heal a cracked apathy
 
Anticipation of future acceleration
lit up in translucent neon signs
 
Flashpoint of the high peak
riding the tide of absolution
 
A pound of forgiveness on the scale
weighed against karma’s inclination to release
 
The soul is saved in heavenesque grace
with sweet whispers of divine fate
 
Shoving along a manifest destiny
to reach the edge of no turning back


Open Call for Blog Links:
 
It has been just over a year now since I broke onto the indie lit scene. It has been a great time for me so far…I’ve met a lot of cool new friends, and the support I’ve received from so many editors, publishers, readers, and fellow writers has been a true blessing.
 
As some of you may already know I recently created a Links Page here at 17Numa which is now closing in on having 150 different magazines, journals, lit blogs, and zines listed. This began as my small way of saying thank you to the publishers that have included my work so far, and is now in the process of being expanded to include other venues that I enjoy and believe in. There were over 1,000 views on the Links Page in August, which has me truly stoked. I’m happy that other readers and writers are using the page as a resource, and that I’m able to drive some traffic to the sites.
 
I’m staying quite busy with the process of writing, typing, editing, sending out submissions, reading the work of my contemporaries, corresponding with editors, networking on Facebook and Twitter, and keeping this blog updated with new content on a regular basis. But instead of slowing down, I’d like to take things up another notch with a new project.
 
After all that let me now get to the main point of this post…
 
I just set up the new Blogs Page at 17Numa yesterday, and as my way of saying thank you to all the fellow writers and artists that continue to keep me on fire with inspiration, I’d like to make an open call for you to send me the links to your personal websites and blogs. This is open to anyone who feels that they have something to offer. The more the merrier. I dig natural health sites. I dig spirituality. I dig philosophy. I’m down with it all, ya dig?
 
Anyone who would like their site listed, please contact me at 17Numa@gmail.com. In the subject line of your email write: BLOGS. This will hopefully help me keep things nicely organized.
 
In your email include the full name you would like me to use, the name of your site/blog, and a link to your homepage.
 
After I get this new page up and running I have plans to start doing a spotlight on various writers/artists who might have a new book or project being released. There are a few other ideas I have as well that I’ll roll out after things begin to get established.
 
Again, I just want to say that this has been a wonderful first year on the scene for me, and I want to give back to the community in any way possible. Thank you to everyone…now start sending me those links, and please help spread the word!
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar
 
P.S.
 
I’ve had an opportunity to begin the process of adding links to the Blogs Page today…check out the progress made thus far by clicking on the tab at the top of this post…

Random Reflections on Life after 35 Years on Earth

~ 17numa ~ 3 Comments
Things are not always as they seem.
Conditions on planet earth are in a mess.
Life itself is the most wondrous of blessings.
Mindfulness is the holy path toward good mental health.
Detoxification is the golden key toward physical wellbeing.
There are few pleasures greater than a glass of wine,
good sex, and the first cigarette of the day.
All solid form is an illusion of limited perception.
Vibrations and frequencies of energetic light underlie all existence.
The only murder that is righteous is that of mosquitos.
Community is a natural inclination of humans,
while collectivism is a curse orchestrated by fascists.
Never take seriously the opinions held by those
who are afraid of their own shadow’s reflection.
The time of Empire has nearly reached its expiration date.
An artistic Renaissance and spiritual Revolution are underway.
You cannot change the world by planting a single seed,
but you can help the process of transformation through such an action.
Never take for granted the love of friends and family.
The Tao is a river of constantly shifting currents,
flowing and fluxing as needed in order to adapt and evolve.
There is a season for all things –
a time for feasting and a time for fasting,
a time for work and a time for play,
a time for love and a time for hate,
a time for action and a time for rest,
a time for celebration and a time for sobriety,
a time for music and a time for silence,
a time for company and a time for solitude,
a time for peace and a time for war,
a time for this,
a time for that,
and, of course, a time for the other.
The truth arrives in waves:
be ever ready to catch its rising tide.
Explosive energy is a destructive force,
while implosion taps into the creative source.
Chaos is a necessary state of being,
as it is through the process of something breaking down
that a higher state of order can emerge.
The Kingdom of Heaven is found within.
The pineal gland is the seat of the soul.
God is consciousness; consciousness is God.
All are called, but only those who are ready shall be chosen.
Those who think they know, don’t.
Those who remain open to enlightenment shall receive it.
The future belongs to those who are ready for anarchy.
There are an infinite number of angles
from which to view any given situation.
Always remain aware of context.
The Silver Rule:
Never treat others in a way you wouldn’t want to be treated.
The Golden Rule is generally effective
but tends to break down when followed by
sadists, sociopaths, psychopaths, and masochists.
A person that seeks power over others
does not truly have power over their own self.
Peace, love, truth, empathy, compassion, kindness,
generosity, humility, honor, and faith
are all important aspects of life,
but in the end, above all,
is Love.
 
 
I turned 35 years old yesterday. These were my thoughts in the woods at the park…during the first visit. I doubled back later in the evening and chased one more poem down as the sun fell and the night became as dark as ink.
 
I used to write and say, I’m bleeding my soul out. Now I write and say, it is what it is.
 
A welcome surprise yesterday as my poem “Toasting the gods” was published at Poetry Life & Times. The editor, Robin Ouzman Hislop had accepted a couple of poems back in late February, and then published “Waiting for Its Turn” in early March. There was never any set date on when the next piece would appear, and now it has. Beautiful.
 
I had a request from a friend in one of the Facebook groups I enjoy, Notes from the Edge, asking if I would mind recording the poem from yesterday’s blog post. Which I was certainly more than happy to do. I’ll post the SoundCloud link below:
 
Habitual Intoxication of Infinite Infatuation
 
Feel free to contact me here at 17Numa, or on Facebook and Twitter…I’m down to connect…let’s dance –
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar

Habitual Intoxication of Infinite Infatuation

~ 17numa ~ Leave a comment
Addicted to full throttle
Addicted to ignition
Addicted to hair trigger pressure
Addicted to the big squeeze
Addicted to nuclear reaction
Addicted to mass explosion
Addicted to the sky fall
Addicted to the aftermath
Addicted to Revelation fever
Addicted to Apocalyptic fervor
Addicted to the fallout frenzy
Addicted to the high wave future
Addicted to the peak note
Addicted to the sex pot
Addicted to the cum shot
Addicted to the holy chalice
Addicted to the blackout stupor
Addicted to the whitewash hangover
Addicted to the sliced vein
Addicted to the open gushing wound
Addicted to the bloodbath fury
Addicted to the yawning grave
Addicted to the reaper’s scythe
Addicted to the turning season
Addicted to the slaughtered past
Addicted to the burnout fade away
Addicted to the forked tongue liar
Addicted to the apple’s worm
Addicted to the acid rain
Addicted to the sorrow fields
Addicted to the sowing
Addicted to the reaping
Addicted to the harvest feast
Addicted to the silent fast
Addicted to every habit
though I know they never last
 
Joseph Campbell said that the body at 35 years of age is in its peak natural condition of virility and physical strength…
 
Maynard James Keenan sang, watch the weather change…
 
Happy to have had two poems accepted recently by Of/with: journal of immanent renditions for the upcoming third issue that will be out later in September. The editor, Felino A. Soriano, is quite an accomplished poet, and it is always nice to have one’s work pass the test of respected eyes. “Sponge Squeeze in a Twisted Terrain” and “Multiplying through Ancient Division” were both written at the park last week specifically with the intention of sending them to Of/with. Occasionally (more frequently of late) my intuition will bring a specific venue to mind and then I’ll focus my attention toward writing something to send there; and the fruits recently have been good.
 
My poem “Primal Roar” appeared in issue 2 a few months ago alongside poets such as Marianne Szlyk, Heath Brougher, Alan Britt, A.J. Huffman, Pijush Kanti Deb, Bryn Fortey, John Pursch, and many others.
 
I’d like to encourage everyone to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter, if only because it’s a lot of fun.
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar

Game Day Heartache…August Recap

~ 17numa ~ Leave a comment
The start of college football
is now less than a week away.
This will be the second season
since my Father passed on.
When UGA kicks off this coming Saturday
in the noon hour
memories from hundreds of games
we watched together
will surely be careening through my mind.
The four overtimes game against Auburn
when Robert Edwards ran wild.
The SEC Championship and subsequent
Sugar Bowl blowouts against
Arkansas and Florida State
in Mark Richt’s second year at the helm.
The screw job in the 2007 polls
when Georgia was not voted into the National Title game.
The final play in the 2012 SEC Championship game against Alabama
that left Georgia within 5 yards of victory
after making a last minute storm down the field…
another near miss opportunity
that would have put them in the National Title game.
All the rivalry games against Tech
that inevitably came down to the final play,
sometimes going our way, sometimes not.
But more than anything what I’ll remember
are the talks we had after games,
thrilling in victory, or agonizing in defeat.
Mulling things over and helping each other
keep the larger picture of life in perspective.
I miss those talks, as well as the others
about space, God, love, truth, ancient history,
technology, psychology, philosophy, medicine,
natural health, science fiction and fantasy books,
family, food, politics, baseball, society, friendship,
and every other damned thing under the sun.
 
We always wish we could have
just one more conversation…
but we can’t
because death is the final goodbye;
no matter how many tears we weep,
no matter how many prayers we whisper,
there will never be another conversation.
But the memories remain,
as does the unconditional love.
I know my Father would be proud
of the efforts I’m making in my life
as I push with every ounce of energy
toward reaching the goals I set
so many years ago.
 
If you see me this Saturday
off alone,
please know that I’m not talking to myself…
my quivering lips
are just an effort
to try and send
a final word Dad’s way.
I love you forever…
and Go Dawgs!
 
– In loving memory of Barry Thomas Outlar
August Recap:
 
Thankfully, it was quite an exciting and successful month for me, and I’d like to take a moment to thank all the editors associated with these 37 literary venues for accepting and/or publishing my poetry in August:
 
Yellow Chair Review; Indiana Voice Journal; Sonic Boom; A Long Story Short; Dissident Voice; Piker Press; Your One Phone Call; Visual Verse; Dead Snakes; Social Justice Poetry; Rasputin; Syzygy Poetry Journal; Poetry Quarterly; The Voices Project; Tuck Magazine; The Poet Community; Nazar Look; Eunoia Review; Mad Swirl; The Fat Damsel; The Bond Street Review; Whispers; Kind of a Hurricane Press; The Angry Manifesto; Visceral Uterus; Digging through the Fat; Slim Volume (Pankhearst); Calliope Magazine; Viral Cat; The Song is…; Aberration Labyrinth; Exercise Bowler; WritingRaw; Belle Reve Literary Journal; Synesthesia Literary Journal; Of/with; and Verse-Virtual. Links to all of these publications, as well as over one hundred others, can be found on the Links tab at the top of this page.
 
I’d also like to thank Dustin Pickering and Z.M. Wise at Transcendent Zero Press for taking my chapbook “Songs of a Dissident” on board for publication early next year. I will always be indebted for the support I’ve received from the friends who helped this project reach the point it is at now.
 
On a more personal note, I will soon reach the 100 day mark since turning away from the seductive temptress of alcohol. I will certainly drink again someday because wine is simply one of the great pleasures to be found in this worldly realm of flesh and blood, and I just love to dance with Dionysus when the mood is right. But, after years on end of bullying my liver and kidneys, my body and mind did need this type of a sustained break, so it has been nice to really squeeze out the organs of late in a hardcore detoxification process.
 
September has arrived. That means the kickoff of Georgia football. That means singing and dancing. That means Psalms of Selah sung in thankfulness unto the celestial spheres. That means actually taking a break from writing for a few hours each Saturday…and maybe even taking a deep breath once in awhile. But, of course, one must never lose sight of the ultimate goal…and I surely will not.
 
Thank you to everyone who visits 17Numa and reads my words. This site has now been up for seven months. There were over 2,150 page views and more than 850 visitors in August – an exponential increase from the previous month’s traffic. I don’t really know how to express my appreciation for everyone who is coming here. Stated simply: Thank you. I’m looking forward to the month of September, to the cycling of the Autumn season, and to finishing this year on a high note.
 
I love to connect with new people, so please feel free to contact me on Facebook and Twitter. Let us honor those who have passed by celebrating this life we are still blessed with.
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar

Entrapment Woven to a Precarious Edge: Three Poems

~ 17numa ~ 3 Comments
Bend but Don’t Break
 
 
Worldly desires
serve as an albatross
around the soul’s neck,
sending the entrapped flesh
below the tide
to drown in ocean’s depths;
but sometimes
a little bit of pressure
on the lungs is nice,
as it helps develop
oxygen capacity to breathe
much better
when the new wave rises
and the body is released
to seek the next
treasure around the bend.
 
Beware the Webs
 
 
The spiders come out at night,
weaving their wicked webs
of entangled deception,
seeking to capture prey
that has been blinded
by the darkness.
 
This is not a complex thought.
There is not a fount of wisdom here.
Just a simple warning:
Be careful when the sun falls
and the liars ready their fangs.
 
Risk and Reward
 
 
Sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll
can take one to the heights,
but the edge is precarious
and it’s a long fall back down
to where one began the climb…
but damn if that rise
doesn’t pitch a sweet deal
when offering its temptations.
Thank you to Angie Tibbs at Dissident Voice for running my weekly poem on Sunday. “Same Old Song and Dance” can be read at this link. I’d recommend checking out Don Beukes poem “YOU” which also appeared at the site.
 
Thank you to editor Karen O’Leary at Whispers for accepting my poem “Left Wondering” to appear next month; a piece that was originally published at Poems and Poetry earlier this year.
 
It was nice to see Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs throw a no-hitter against the Dodgers last night. I watched a replay of the final ten minutes where he struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth…up over one hundred pitches but still hitting 96 mph and throwing absolute filth down and in to the two lefties, Rollins and Utley, whom he completely overmatched. So, there’s a sports update…with college football kicking off in a few days, I expect there will be plenty more. Truth is, I’ve had baseball basically tuned out since a couple weeks into the season. There has been a laser beam of focus for months on end while going about whatever it is that I’ve undertaken with this whole writing thingamajig. But there is not a single chance in hell that I’m going to miss the Georgia games. I can take a few breaths on Saturdays…the judgment has been rendered…it is allowed.
 
Anyone who would like to connect, please feel free to contact me on Facebook and Twitter. I’m always seeking to meet new readers, fellow writers, and pretty much anyone that is hip to the rhythm of the Renaissance.
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar

Hot and Cold Highs and Lows

~ 17numa ~ Leave a comment
singsong in the celestial skyline
horizon humming on high
with a melody from the stars
 
we’ve waited
all this time
for just one thing
patiently longing
for the Word
from out the void
 
like the silence
needs the storm
we’ve been begging
for the noise
 
Raucous thunder
like no other
from Valhalla
 
the gods are weeping sorrow’s note
striking sharp against our flesh
 
abandon ship!
abandon soul!
the Devil has come
with Rock ‘n Roll
 
to drown our voice
unto damnation
at the bottom
of a river
 
but there’s no hellfire
just frigid cold
A reading of today’s poem recorded via audioBoom can be found at this link
 
Twitter Poem prompt response for:
 
#MadVerse 431
#SpeakPoetry
 
I usually try to include prompts from more of the Twitter hosts when I’m stringing these longer combination pieces together, but tonight this poem felt complete after working through just two, so who am I argue with my own intuition…besides it is past my bedtime, and I need to get at least a few hours of rest because I’m going to be waking up early in the morning to go play tennis so long as the rain holds off in Atlanta. Which means, wrap this blog up posthaste and fall asleep an hour ago.
 
…but, of course, that isn’t too likely to happen.
Stoked to have received my copy of The Angry Manifesto issue 3.0 in the mail today. Many thanks to Matt Duggan and Simon Leake for including my poem “Venom Laced Jackal Fangs” in this Propaganda/Middle East themed edition of the zine. Happy to see writers whose work I dig such as Strider Marcus Jones and Bryn Fortey listed as fellow contributors.
 
Anyone who would like to get in contact, just drop me a line on Facebook or Twitter. I’m always seeking to make new connections.
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar

Kaleidoscopic Wonderland

~ 17numa ~ Leave a comment
The slightest subtle hint of chill in the air,
heralding the approach of Autumn.
 
August is not quite ready to give up the ghost of Summer,
but the new season is gently poking its nose in.
 
Soon now the imagery of brightly colored leaves
will splash upon nature’s beautiful canvass.
 
Always such an amazing spectacle to witness
how the death of green foliage can be so stunning.
 
Red, yellow, orange, purple, and brown hues
will hang limp before falling back to the soil.
 
Reabsorbed into the dust and ash from which they emerged
to continue the cycle of life in perpetuity.
 
There is no ending in sight,
only glorious new beginnings born afresh each year.
 
Naked branches will stand stoic in the storms,
collecting snow and ice of majestic crystalline forms.
 
Each flake a microcosmic world unto itself –
special, unique, and individuated from the source.
 
Reflecting the power of human consciousness
in those whose soul signature has been activated.
 
We have all come from the same Logos inspired Word of God,
breathed into the physical world to experience each season in turn.
I’m going to be giving a poetry reading during the latter part of October in Augusta, Georgia, and so have been gradually trying to figure out which pieces might work best for the event. I’ve been using SoundCloud and audioBoom to record excerpts from the past year’s material. “3,2,1…” will likely be what I open with, and there are a few other selections I’ve got in mind at this point.
 
This is a link to the version of “Prioritizing the Priorities” I recorded last evening. It’s now in the mix as a possible candidate. This poem appeared first at Dissident Voice last December, and later in this year’s March issue of Indiana Voice Journal.
 
I like to encourage everyone to connect with me here at 17Numa, as well as on Facebook and Twitter…I’m always happy to meet new people and hear their thoughts.
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar