I woke up this morning, threw off the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, working to summon the will to start my daily routine. It was Saturday, I could sleep in, right? But I knew from experience that sleeping in one day could throw off my entire sleep schedule. So I got up with a groan, gave my arms and legs a big stretch, yawned, and made my way into the bathroom. I started brushing my teeth when my reflection in the mirror of the medicine cabinet stuck its tongue out at me.

“What the hell?”

It…

I lie here, in the midst of an elaborate illusion/in a state between clarity and confusion/I have a thousand problems in need of one solution/if we proceed these chains will loosen, and I’ll have a chance to break free/if you want me to keep writing, I’m sorry, you’ll have to make me/cuz lately all I want to do is rest/because I’m depressed, and despite our best efforts, still demon possessed/take a look under the hood, this thing’s a mess, but I’ve already confessed/so you know that in equal parts I’ve been tormented and blessed/every line written under extreme duress, that…

I’ve been told I am unimpressive. This struck a nerve and wounded my fragile pride. Didn’t they know who they were talking to? A man so sensitive he tries to get stitches for paper cuts. A man so averse to criticism that if you roll your eyes in his general direction he won’t sleep for a week. A man so gosh darn egotistical that he thinks the sun is for him and the moon is for everyone else. This accusation is simply factually inaccurate. I am, and always have been, impressive. I will either impress you with my toughness, my…

1st Verse

I’m good at articulating anguish, I speak to the sick, suffering and the ignored
I do this for myself and I don’t expect a reward
Shine your light in dark spaces, but guard it jealously, it is divine
One day they’re going to tell me that I’m out of time
And I won’t begrudge them a single moment, all were essential
When sewn together they create something consequential
They might say he died without living up to his full potential
I admit that I’ve wasted months and even years not making art
The thought of what could’ve been still breaks my heart
But now I know what…

Silas wrote a 100,000 line poem known simply as ‘The Beast’
It was hand-written over dozens of notebooks and was never released
The feds came to snatch it up, they spoke of national security
It became a classified document and Silas died in obscurity

Leading up to his death, he told me if he died it wasn’t by his own hand
I was concerned, I didn’t understand
He said if his death seemed suspicious then it was, and I should stop there
He want to ensure I didn’t become a target of pitch-black ops and nightmares

I asked him what…

I awoke anxious, heart thudding in my chest, mouth dry, body tight
It took me by surprise, but I thought I could weather the storm and I was right
But what’s happening, from where is all this fear emanating
I think it’s because I feel doom on the horizon and I’m tired of waiting

People want my whole life, and as I awaken to a reality in ruins, I understand
You breathed me into being, then things did not go as planned
That’s why we experiment, why we create, why art transcends matter
It’s why we take risks, take on roles we know…

1st Verse

It’s amazing what the mind will accept once it’s been properly prepped
That way you don’t reject it out of hand or happen to miss a step
The jarring jolts of reality-shock can be too much to manage
You feel you’re a victim to your circumstances, the dark will take advantage
But no matter what cultural, societal, political culture you find yourself in
You can always conquer your fears, you can always win
That’s it for me, I’m afraid of things small and great
Perpetually searching for the next person who can relate
Often times I fail because I’ve survived crushing blows to my consciousness
Now I…

1st Verse

‘You and I are literally the same person, my mind broke and you’re the result’
Noelle laughed, ‘These wild theories allow you to reject me, they’re an insult’
‘I know, I just slip into these dark moods where I think nothing is good or real
This past year has altered my reality, I keep my new perspective concealed
There is no one on Earth that I would put through this ordeal
It’s not that I don’t trust your independent personhood
It’s that I don’t trust anything or anyone, never could’
We were sharing a meal outside of a local restaurant
‘You know, I don’t think…