THE SPEAK EASY

Dedicated to the Revival and Promotion
of the Oral Tradition in Literature


About Frank Andrick


Frank Andrick, is a poet/writer and an experimental mythologist. his work has been published in many literary publications including Zambomba, Poetry Now, Poetry Flash, Say Yes, Sex in Public, and Status Unknown. His book of poems and prose entitled SOLUNA is currently in it's second printing. he is also the co-founder of AMP Press and hosts his own spokenword/poetry program on KUSF 90.3 fm. in San Francisco which he calls THE POMO LITERATI.


THE BITTER TRIGGER
Surrounded by soft robes 
faces if ash, faces of dust
Unformed whorls, odes and nodes
Shadows and light

What was divined
a momentary touchdown
A gathering of strands
Weaving of fabric, slashing of the knot
the last chord/cord
severed but not forever
leave me free to discover in you
that love that once was yours
then and only then will this heart 
Speak again...Summoned

Kiss me and crush back the scream
that aches to part my lips
with the sound of my fears
Each of us is alone 
because of the cowardice of others
If we had no fears we would know no borders

He wasn't afraid to say
I'm scared
The strength in that truth
the call of beyond
his flesh turned to stars
His bones to ash
His thoughts to heart... Beat
His tears ... his eyes... his smiles
His flesh turned to stars
his flesh turned to stars
The bitter trigger

Sometimes he touched angels
he knew instinctively their secret language
knew how to turn a smile, a sigh, a rage a gesture,
an anger, or a tear into words
The sound of things falling apart?

Perhaps the same power 
that draws the needle to the North
draws the man to the needle
the irreplaceable moment
The point of no return
No turning back
What's done is done

To hang 
suspended
In that moment and know
to really know
What cannot be understood
by those still left behind

the drunkenness of destruction
always fulfills the well of despair
an absence of light
fosters a great calling

dischord and harmony
were at home in your heart
Each made their presence
Each took their toll
Each contributed to their own
Completion

Spirit ... Desire ...
infiltrate imagination
turning stars in flight
A quickened alchemy
beyond our sight
flesh turned to stars
passing through walls
Still alone in our sight
Everyone of us is always alone

For we will
Cross the great water
Live a great life
Learning to love instead of...
Deciding to hate
disbelieving the paradox as
opposites attract
I am what I am
I am not what is left
The Endless Nameless
All I want is to be consumed
by the same fever
to die of the same wound
to join all of our separate screams
into the one that matters
To shatter glass houses
and exquisite crystals
I want words that burn my brain
I want them to heal
I want to live my prayers
Prayers on fire
his flesh turned to stars
Prayers on fire

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Karen Lumos <karen@cs.unlv.edu>
Anna Naydenova <zimbee@cs.unlv.edu>
created Sun Jan 2 15:11:59 PST 2000