grotesque

flower petals in this winter sun
are pouring from your nose,
down your lip, shining like
silver-water, glowing,

in the kleenex

it’s just snot

Andrew Robulack

Female, Male

TWO WEEKS LATE
still waiting

ECSTATIC, EXCITED, HAPPY
worried, fear, anxiety

TELLING EVERYONE ABOUT
silence, hushed about

US TOGETHER HAVING
you alone having

A BABY
an abortion

Carmine Guadagno

Untitled
Eyes like sunshine on Jade in the rain
Watch Rain Pound
Waves Roll

Seabirds amid

Weathered rocks kelp covered
Have seen such days as this
and more

Time is not here

It is somehow irrelevant

Sea swells swaddle shore
Humbled by the elements I
gaze in wonder from my shelter
At such beauty

Tranquil in the storm.

Andrea Abramson

hello hello are you alive

were you asleep

or just dead

don’t answer that

i know too much already
they're coming to take us away
but i’m not afraid

hello hello are you dreaming

of succulent orbs

suspended

upon an elegant branch

or five blackbirds circling above our
perforated corpses

they croak in the wilderness

of our spent lives

hello hello are you crying

about some lost dreams

of ancient wonders

mumbling and shaking in the darkness
of a mass grave

of towers and magic

or is that just dew

alighted, brilliant

on your cold cold skin

hello hello are you running,

and not knowing why

through an endless darkness

of black globes

(an occasional flash blinding you
and keeping you going, barely)
or are you floating towards a
brilliant warming light just like
they always said

hello hello are you dying

and you don’t know why as

the car folds like tissue paper

and you explode

and it’s all so pointless

or are you in a white room

and you feel like you had been dreaming
and you know

if you walk out the door you will be apart

of everything that ever was and will be
again and again

hello hello are you waiting

to reemerge

a flaming winged star

a breath from perihelion and a new
awareness, blankness

or a lonely cell,

abandoned on the sea floor
destined for a tadpole’s dinner

hello hello are you listening
to me as i scream for help

i need to understand you have to help me

is this it ?
is this it? but you’re gone
...goodbye
jeff griffiths,
dec.2 °91

Planet of the Arts Volume 7 IssueS page 13

“Tangential References”

It's a difficult thing to express something that is inexpressible
People who read/hear//touch/use your expression-attempts
seem invariably to take the means

of your attempt

too seriously

or even worse

the content is seriously too taken

So, the world is flat for those who are told and wish to be told.
The definitive Human Being Operation Manual

It would help make some sense of all this

but maybe

Emily Dickinson can help:

Tell the Truth but tell it skant—
Success in Circuit lies

Too bright for our infirm Delight
The truth’s superb surprise

As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind

The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind—

| feel better

Now, I’ve been told by an acquaintance

that the people he most respected were able to hold
opposing thoughts simultaneously

Unfortunately

this she remarked only because | seem

if not outright hypocritical

then extraordinarily ambiguous

Maybe | should take her comment as an offense then?
No, it’s my slim lifeline of illusoral hope.

Where is yours?

As another was want to remark “...well, it’s kinda like you're
the blurr in between two points of view, man.”
Comforting.

Are you then comfortable?

| remember a scene in Imagine where a deranged character
had been caught on Lennon's country estate and brought to
John himself. Lennon tried to explain to the guy that he
should not necessarily take his songs literally. Tried to explain
to him not to fuck-up his life by subscribing entirely to
Lennon’s thoughts and songs. Tried to explain that he doesn’t
know what it’s all about either.

But

My life is made both brighter and melancholy

Brighter just by knowing that there have been and are people
who really also don’t know anything about any thing

but who sure are able to find beautiful and meaningful ways
expressing the ‘being’ of human

Melancholy because | have yet to be able
to give meaning

to the blurr that is my attempt

at meaning beyond form

| suspect
though | don’t particularly subscribe

nor want | others’ subscription

to literal thus limiting expressions
that attempts, as are these words
are the best that can be done
that is, if | choose to use words
and not some broken glass

and you choose to read

the things | hardly grasp

Richard Kanachowski

grotesque

flower petals in this winter sun
are pouring from your nose,
down your lip, shining like
silver-water, glowing,

in the kleenex.

it's just snot

Andrew Robulack

Female, Male

“TWO WEEKS LATE
sill waiting

ECSTATIC, EXCITED, HAPPY
worried, fer, anxiety

TELLING EVERYONE ABOUT
silence, hushed about

US TOGETHER HAVING
you alone having

ABABY
an abortion

Carmine Guadagno

Untitled

yes like sunshine on Jade in the rain
Waich Rain Pound

Waves Roll

Seabirds amid

‘Weathered rocks kelp covered.
Haye seen such days as this
and more

‘Time is not here

Itis somehow irrelevant

Sea swells swadale shore
Humbled by the elements 1
gaze in wonder from my shelter
At such beauty

‘Tranquil in the storm.

‘Andrea Abramson

halo hel are you alive
were you aeep

‘or just dead

don’t answer that

iknow too much aeady
theyre coming to take vs away
but i'm not afraid

hello helo are you dreaming
‘of succulent ors

suspended

Upon an elegant branch

or five bacbidsciring above our
perforated corpses

they croak inthe wilderness

of our spent lives

hello helo are you crying
about some lost dreams

of ancient wonders

‘mumiling and shaking in the darkness
of amass grave

of towers and magic

ois that just dew

alighted, biiant

‘on your cod cold skin

hello helo are you runnin,
and not knowing why
through an endless darkness

‘of black globes

(an occasional ash binding you
and keeping you going, barely)
or are you flating towards 2
brillant warming ight us ike
they avays sid

helo helo are you dying

and you don't know why as

the car folds ike tisue paper

and you explode

and t's al 0 poitess

or are you in a white room

and you fee like you had been dreaming
and you know

i you walkout the door you will be apart
of everthing that ever was and willbe
again and again

hello helo are you waiting
toreemerge

a flaming winged star

a breath from perihelion and a new
awareness, blankness

oraloney cl,

abandoned on the se floor
destined fora tadpole’ dinner

helo ello are you listening

‘to meas i scream for help

ineed to understand you have to help me
isthisit?

is this it? but you'e gone

goodbye

Planet ofthe As Volume 7 sve S page 13

“Tangential References”

Its dificult thing to express something that is inexpressble
People who read/hear/Rouch/use your expression attempts
seem invariably to take the means

of your attempt

too seriously

‘or even worse

the content is seriously too taken

Se, the word i fat for those who are told and wish to be tod
The defntve Human Being Operation Manual

‘it would help make some sense of ll this

but maybe

Emily Dickinson can help

Tell the Truth but tli tant—
Succes in Circ ies

oo bright fr ou infirm Debght
The ruth’ superb suprise

‘As ightrng tothe Children eased
With explanation kind

The Truth must dazzle gradually
(r every man be blind—

el beter

Now ve been told by an acquaintance

thatthe people he mos respected were abl to hold
‘opposing thoughts simultaneously

Unfortunately

this she remarked only because seem

i not ought hypocritical

then extraocinarly ambiguous

Maybe should take her comment as an offense then?
No, it's my sim feline of ilusoral hope.

Whee is yous?

‘As another was want to remark *.wel is kind ike you're
the blr in between two points of view, man.”
Comforting

‘Ae you then comfortable?

Leemember a scene in Imagine where a deranged character
had been caught on Lennon's country estate and brought to
Jotnhimsel, Lennon tried to explain othe guy that he
should not necessarily take his songs tery Tried to explain
to him not to fuck-up his life by subscribing entirely to
Lennon's thoughts and songs. Tred to explain that he doesn’t
know what it'sall about ether.

But

My lifes made both brighter and melancholy

Brighter ust by knowing that there have been and are people
‘who really aso don’t know anything about any thing

but who sure are able to find beautiful and meaningful ways
expressing the ‘being’ of human

Melancholy because Ihave yet tobe able

to give meaning

to the blur that is my attempt

at meaning beyond form

I suspect

though | don’ partir subscribe
‘nor want | others’ subscription
to literal thus limiting expressions
that attempts, as are these words
are the best that can be done
that is, if choose to use words
and not some broken glass

and you choose to read

the things | hardly grasp

Richard Kanachowski