Three Poems by Stephen Jarrell Williams

 

Covering of Destruction

In their eyes

jabs of burning tears

the coming fire

already on the horizon

night lit

shocking

moon turning red

rusting like Mars

many turning and running

hiding in condemned buildings

fingering blood on walls

pissing at the ceiling

animal stink

itching under arms

trying anything to ignore

the unstoppable fury of fear

gulping throat

lumps of pain

then a slap

trying to come out of it

regrouping for hopefully more than a moment

hopefully not falling into the trap of letting it ride

letting go

giving up

kingdoms of war

upside down crosses

oh, the fire into fires

smoke becoming a covering

an iron lid over our land.

Depth Charge

Nowhere to hide

stage show in the center of the city

radical dancing 

into touch or squeeze or piling on nudity

most hide on the edges

tired of near suffocation of emotions

underground walk for escape

into caves leading into an endless mouth

strange sounds from walls of earth and bones

under their feet the bump of hell

knowing every moment could be

the dropping of a nuke

for nothing is the same

you can't get away

unless sheltered by the hand of God.

Near Death

Night freeze

shivering under old blankets

moon outside and far above

an ice moon

crater torn

signs of past and future

near last hours with brain miracles

chattering teeth like tin drums

eyelids open

frozen marbles

heart into cold stone

and yet

still alive and feeling

a distant love of truth

growing closer

and warmer

warmer

and warmer.

Stephen Jarrell Williams often starts a poem with his fist, and slowly opens it to the sky.  His poetry has appeared recently in Fixator Press, Synchronized Chaos, A Thin Slice of Anxiety, The Beatnik Cowboy, Cold Moon Journal, Disturb the Universe Magazine, and Lothlorien Poetry Journal.  He is on (X) Twitter @papapoet