My Refusal of Your Fate

My refusal to submit myself to your lowly standards
Is the trait that ear-marks me

As an animal of isolation and determination;

Alone on a rocky edge,

My view of your leaping across and deeply into

The bottomless pit

Is all too clear.

Too ignorant to witness the tragedy of your own ways,
I know you would not believe me,

Should I raise my voice

-And so as you dive deeper and deeper downwards,

I stand silent.

Alone and still,

Holding my breath,

Waiting and anticipating for you to gasp your last.

The cause for which you sacrifice yourself
Is all too unworthy,

And the bond that you break

Is a sever that cuts deeper into me

Than you will ever know.

Try as I might, I cannot save you from the
Demise that you desire most;

Witness as I must, your desolution into

The swampy filth that certainly you yourself
Must have at one time condemned.

We cannot exist in harmony,

While you resort to the methods which I despise.
Methods you deem as survival,

Methods which obscure the truth and smother you
In a blanket of comfortable and convenient lies.

So what ...
what the fuck am I doing here?
Am I here
to string
fucking words together to
try snd create some
some sort of word-scape I hope
hope...
hope...
you can understand ...

2??
I want to see music tonight.
I heard poems read,
words spoken.
They left me where I was
They did not take me to that
(place) I have been. Pray
Pray I never write words that
leave you or me behind.
Let them always take you
at least...
to where I have been.
At least let me take you there.
Transport you.
Complete you in some way
at least for a moment...
And a moment is nothing.

KACEY McDOUGALL

No matter the toll,

I tell myself that I will not, cannot succumb
To the dreaded disease :

That you boldly inflict upon yourself.
Stand alone if necessary,

Stand forever if need be,

I resist your temptations,

I deny the cancer that consumes the soul;
I will not stumble and fall-

The Lord as my witness,

I will remain pure,

And pride myself on this.

I will rely upon it,

Sustain myself with it

As though it were food,

As though it were all I need.

That remind me of my character,
Remind me of patterns unchecked,
Remind me of the cycles unbroken.

Like a tatoo on the soul,

An ink that drains blackness from my heart.

How can we possibly create something special,
When we’re both so fucked up?

Like a blind man shopping for a pair of glasses,
There is no use in this mad-man’s campaign.

Maybe one day, it could work,
And we could hold hands

And tell stories.

Maybe on day, we could leave the new damage behind
And begin again.
Maybe... maybe not.

I don’t know why I’m trying to do this,
Maybe it’s because you’re all that I’ve got.
With nothing else to lose,

Sometim es the pain seems like a gift;

A gift to the senses malnourished,

Like a beggar given a bottlecap-

Anything small and metal could be a coin.

The palms of my hands are baking in the sun,

My hands have been stretched out so long.

The wrinkles on the skin are the only lasting testament,
The only sign that shows the time

That has not been kind.

Left me on my knees,

Hungry and alone.

This ever-unfolding drama, with characters in shadow,
Can’t you see that the audience has left the building?
It’s time to draw the curtains on this,

My final act.

But before I slip away,

I would like to thank my supporting cast:

The non-believer, the critics,

The friends and family who didn’t believe in me
When I didn’t believe in myself,

To you I can say thank-you

As I blow out the candles.

Alastair Wood

BLEED

Colors in my eyes

showing the intensity,

Of Kaleidescoped white walls.
Reverberations in my head.
Solitude heavylike lead.

Droning into the sky

Try to beat into flight

But they drag you back

Sucked into the core of the earth
Prodding the destiny of your birth.

Fixed faces

Still, staring -

A clamp on sensitivity
You walk alone

This is not your home

Bleed.
They ask you to bleed
Bleed for the untold mystery
You've got to bleed until you’re pale.

REKHA SHARMA
My Refusal of Your Fate

My ceil to submie myzelf vo your lowly sandards
Te the tae hat earmarks me

‘Avan animal of wolation and deermination;

‘Alone on a rocky edge,

[My view of your leaping acros and deeply into
‘The bottomles pie

Inall oo dese

“Too ignorant wo witness the tragedy of your own ways,
know you would nt believe me,

Should I ase my voice

“And 1028 you dive deeper and deeper downwards,
sand dent

Alone and stil,

Holding my breath,

‘Waiting and anticipating for you ro gasp your ls.

‘The cause for which you secifceyoursdE
Ikall wo unworthy,

And the bond that you break

Tea sever that cuts deeper into me

‘Than you will ever know.

‘Tay ae T might, I cannot save you from the
Demise that you desire most

‘Wienest aI mut, your desolation into
“The swampy filth tha cerainly you yourself
‘Mast have tone time condemned.

‘We cannot exist in harmony,
‘While you resort to the methods which despise
Methods you deem as survival,

Methods which obscure the truth and smother you
Tna blanket of comfortable and convenient les

So what
what the Rick am T doing here?
Am I here

to sing

Fucking words together vo.

tay and create some

some sor of word-scape I hope
hope.

hope.

you can undentand

1 wane ro se muticronight.
Theard poems read,

swords spoken

“They lee me where I wat

They didnot take me to that
(place) Ihave been. Pry

Pray I never write words that
leave you or me behind.

Ler them always eke you.

at lea.

to where Ihave been.

Ac east et me take you there
Transport you

Compete you in some way

ax katt fora moment

And moment i nothing

KACEY McDOUGALL

No manerthe ol,
Teel ysl dha wil ot, canoe succumb
“Toth dreaded dicae

“Tha you bol inflict upon yourele
Sand aloe frecasy,

Sand forverif ned be,

Tre your tempeations,

1 deny the eancer that comme the soul
Iwill noe sumbl and fl-

‘The Lord as my witness,

1 will main pur,

‘And pid myself on this.

Iwill ely upon it

Susan gel ith

‘Asthough ie were food,

‘Asthough wee all ned

‘That emiod me of my chart,

Remind me of pater unchecked,
Remind me of the cycles unbroken

Likes too on the sul,

‘Anke that drains blcknes fom my hear

How can we possibly create something specs
‘When we're both 2 fucked up?

Like blind man shopping for par of gases,
‘Thete it no ute in this mad-man's campaign

Maybe one day, e could work,
‘And we could hold hands
‘And ell ori.

Maybe on day, we could leave the new damage behind
‘And begin again,
Maybe. maybe not

feet arene rae
Hee t eb pitas
Wihengde sion
eee ee

A gift to the senses a
Fafa ad cea

past al ene

‘The palms of my hands ate baking nthe sun,

My hands have been strerched out long.

‘The wrinkles on the skin are the ony sting rexamens,
‘The only sign that shows the time

‘That ha not been kind,

Lefe me on my knees,

Hungry and alone

CGan'e you se thatthe audience has lef the building?
Tes time to daw the curaine on this,

My final act.

Bat before Islip away,

would ike ro thank my supporting cat:

‘The nombelive, the eitics,

‘The fiends and family who didat believe in me
When I dida' believe in myself,

To you Ian ay thank-you

As blow out the candles

Alster Wood

BLEED

Colors in ny yes

showing the intensity,

(OF Kaleidescoped white wall
Revetbrations in my head.
Solicude heal lead,

Droning ino the sky
Try to beat into fight

But they drag you back

Sucked into the core ofthe earth
Prodding the destiny of your bir,

Fed faces
Sail, searing -
‘Acamp on senstvey
You walk alone

i not your home

Bleed.
‘They ake you to bleed

Bleed forthe untold myeery
You've got to bled until you're pale.

REKHA SHARMA