Five Poems by Jay Simpson

 

Art Anselm Kiefer

WELL MATCHED

Well Matched

Burnt cigarette promised landing

porch rests against the stake

lifeboat lost sea of sand

trouble brews dubious encounters

needle thread lovers’ sheltering

intonation off beat starry eyed

worlds obliterated sirens racing

private parties pools stooges

dive deep hit concrete

head crash heart race

coverups in the ante room

sexual liaisons interrupted

hard liners cell phones

president’s scandalous retribution

loyal supporters petrol drums

wild beasts lift their weapons

angry mobs’ suicide bombers

the world is fixed with the flick of a switch

 

“Born at the close of World War II, Kiefer reflects upon and critiques the dangerous myths that propelled the Third Reich to power. Fusing art and literature, painting and sculpture, the artist engages German history and the ancestral epics of life and death “

 

 

Art Chaim Soutine

LOCKS WITHOUT KEYS

Locks Without Keys

Ornate hinges locks without keys

security alarms missed opportunities

time travellers in slow moving trains

red light district shopping malls

banned books stolen franchises

lost credit cards rising debt

railway bars smelling of flesh and sweat

rotting meat whiskey sin

empty calendars late night art shows

drunken booksellers private dance parties

poets reading cocktails spilling

syllables falling on deafened ears

signing abandoned poet fleeing

propriety wins the game

 

 

 

Art Anselm Kiefer 

 

POTENT INSIGHT

Potent Insight

Myriads multiply gameplays begin

relics replace conventional sin

stack firewood burn thoughts

debunk forecasts clear the stage

discoveries fuse proposals splinter

power captures patience fractures

side glances slippery byways

petty tomorrow’s yesterday’s fools

disturb equilibrium rattle bones

challenge the fire the shaky hand

the screaming world the gone mad

die in the forest silence sound

 

 

 

 Art Amanda Ba

 

SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

Solitary Confinement

Promises with price tags

disturbance muddies waters

fine detail rocks the boat

words written neutered

broadsheets news feeds

maps plans incarcerated

airport hotels empty lounges

breakfast left untouched

dreams strangled in a noose of hope

 

 

EMOTIVE

Emotive

Smelling salts laudanum

toes slip hands grip

night terrors distort childlike visions

discomfort knows the story lines

waits for forgiving forgetting

trouble fills the universe with lies

emotive words call for resistance

take up arms fight for you

scream their fire into the void

break through the black hole of regret

blame must resolve her dilemma

entitled losers must win the prize 

 

Jay Simpson was born in Sydney, Australia. She is recently published in Lothlorien Poetry Journal, ‘The Empath Dies in the End’, Fevers of the Mind, ‘Voices from the Fire Anthology, Dumpster Fire Press, The Writer’s Club, Horror Sleaze Trash, Fevers of the Mind Showcase, ‘Ukraine: The Night and the Fire’ Anthology and ‘Bedroom Anatomy Lessons’ Anthology, Dumpster Fire Press. Jay is also published in a number of online magazines and journals. She is currently working on her new book to be published in 2024.