~soon after the turn of the century~
~Quodlibet won the Marija Cerjak award~~for avant-garde/experimental writing~
~Quodlibet was then published by Howling Dog Press in its Omega series. The entire epic piece will be available in print from Howling Dog with graphic art by the author 2012/2013~
~daddy called her angel~
~she danced around in circles~
~piggy tails bouncing~
~voice singing with the radio~
~I can’t get no~
~satisfaction~
~tripped into a table~
~broke momma’s favorite lamp~
~so momma administered~
~some corporal punishment~
~bottom lip protruding~
~arms folded in front of her~
~big four-year-old eyes full of tears~~she ran to daddy in the driveway~
~why’s my momma such a bitch~
~he lifted a tear from her cheek~
~hell honey angel~
~I don’t know~
~she hugged his leg~
~can I sit on your harley~
~so she did~
~snuggled into the sissy bar~
~she snuffled a bit~
~favored daddy with a smile~
~thought to herself~
~I ain’t no angel~
~grace on one hand~
~smooth as silk~
~spider milk~
~anger shifting~
~changeling~
~she was possessed of~
~XVIII. latent latitudes~
~so mystery is dark~
~yet lies pale upon that face~
~both lively & sorrowful~
~she wears ribbons~
~falling from a nest of hair~
~whose branches display dignity~
~a tin twinkle of passion~
~impossible twists of irony~
~aspire to reach the sky~
~where dreams are torn fresh falling~
~colors laughing~
~some terrible breeze~
~a prayer away from those~
~a wing~
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WordWulf
Inquiries: tracy@traceliteraryagency.com
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©artwork & words conceived by & property of
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner©
~soon after the turn of the century~
~Quodlibet won the Marija Cerjak award~
~for avant-garde/experimental writing~
~Quodlibet was then published by Howling Dog Press in its Omega series. The piece will be available in print from Howling Dog with graphic art by the author 2012/2013~
~jewels in her tiara~
~spider children~
~dreams astound her~
~she holds it in until~
~breathless~
~she is startled awake~
~no one notices~
~but her day is coming~
~she saw ghosts dancing~
~knows full well what that means &~
~XVII. just like father~
~she demands fair measure~
~what comes owing as her own~
~holds it out against her~
~is appalled by father’s ignorance~
~the thick skin of his span of years~
~but warmed by the embrace of her man~
~quite fearful at deeper levels~
~a creeping awareness~
~of the need to compare them~
~her pain is a shield~
~she covets her jewels of children~
~grace on one hand~
~smooth as silk~
~spider’s milk~
~anger shifting~
~changeling~
http://wordwulf.com
WordWulf
Inquiries: tracy@traceliteraryagency.com
& wordwulf@wordwulf.com
©artwork & words conceived by & property of
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner©
~from suicide to dinner~
~a creature’s lusts & appetites~
~are blood/vein connected to its actions & deeds~
~the human beast is likely to seek groups~
~attribute & blame its behavior on peer pressure~
~decisions by committee~
~coven, church, or career~
~outlaws & ceo’s~
~heroes & miscreants~
~pod peas alike~
~self-serving~
~public opinion~
~a moronic collective~~the philosophy of fools~
~III. Bone-deep/Alone~
~whom seeks to please everyone~
~errs miserably in due course~
~ultimately~
~embraces a pen-ultimate failing~
~possible loss of self~
~& that wandering peace~
~becomes a tone~
~a whimper~
~a sounding~
~bone-deep~
~who am I kidding ~
~what if we are found alone~
~the tiniest bit of wanting~
~verification of goodness~
~all doubt left behind~
~finally okay to be this way~
~such are all paths leading home~
http://wordwulf.com
WordWulf
Inquiries: tracy@traceliteraryagency.com
& wordwulf@wordwulf.com
©artwork & words conceived by & property of
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner©Quodlibet was published by Howling Dog Press
~the problem is~
~well they are numerous~
~but the man who comes to save us~
~is the one momma lies to daddy about~
~the one we lie to momma about~
~hell he touches us all~
~in every private place~
~he is a devil in our flesh~
~a parasitical worm in our brain~
~a spirit devouring energy sponge~
~death cannot be so dark as this~
~he rode a tall horse~
~until it bolted & ran away~
~I saw it once in a cloud~
~he won’t let us look up anymore~
~all he wants us to see~
~is down here~
~is right there~
~XVI. Galloping Sin~
~hunter gatherer~
~destroyer we~
~fall prey to gluttonous appetites~
~lust; the broken wing, desire~
~folds a stilted bone against~
~the breast of breast of~
~father provides~
~no succor to innocents~
~meet in low dim night spaces~
~earthen floor scattered about~
~dust motes lined down under the bed~
~tied to the butt crack adulterer~
~naked & throat full of blood~
~threatening gulp~
~sneeze denied~
~tied to the feet of horses drowning~
http://wordwulf.com
WordWulf
Inquiries: tracy@traceliteraryagency.com
& wordwulf@wordwulf.com
©artwork & words conceived by & property of
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner©
published by Howling Dog Press
~Quodlibet~
~The Hundred Bites~
~I~
~our communication stolen~
~prisoners & parents controlled by handheld devices~
~in the hands of schoolchildren & screws~
~what the hell you gonna do~amerikan family?~~don’t ask me fat boy~
~you sold us out when the citizens voted you in~
~I didn’t have anything to do with that shit~
~I. Dead End Traffic~
~friday afternoon~
~it is a long drive home~
~woman on the telephone~
~dead animal in a pickup truck ~
~stiff legs pointing wrong way up~
~driven by an eater~
~of venison into the open~
~trapped at once~
~maybe she’s talking to her man~
~sure as hell can’t drive~
~that thing is stuck to her face~
~could be she’s trying to talk it off~
~ain’t no free rides~
~in a land of gypsies~
http://wordwulf.com
WordWulf
Inquiries: tracy@traceliteraryagency.com
& wordwulf@wordwulf.com
©artwork & words conceived by & property of
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner©Quodlibet was published by Howling Dog Press
~the epic~
~reptiles & dust~
~with a narcissistic bent~
~if I don’t love me~
~who will~
~ponders the would-be philosopher~
~& there ya have it~
~these are a rage~
~& a sonnet~
~# nine~~alfalfa dreams~
~in some pastures alfalfa~
~sweet scent of first love~
~& the death of reason~
~weight of passion flower scent~
~rolling in the haymow~
~old men on car trips~
~roll down the window & dream~http://wordwulf.com WordWulf
Inquiries: tracy@traceliteraryagency.com
& wordwulf@wordwulf.com
©artwork & words conceived by & property of
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner©
~the epic~
~reptiles & dust~
~when he was a boy~
~daddy bought him heelies~
~so he could smooth glide~
~through the last few years of his life~
~before he was a number~
~on the wrong list~
~before he was a soldier~
~gone before he was~
~these are a rage~
~# nineteen~
~one nation stands~
~trouble with politicians~
~when their women demand new shoes~
~they are apt to ask what color~
~choose a nation~
~a people~
~name them enemy~
~steal their skin~
~walk first on~
~then in them~
~to hell with penny loafers~
http://wordwulf.com
WordWulf
Inquiries: tracy@traceliteraryagency.com
& wordwulf@wordwulf.com
©artwork & words conceived by & property of
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner©
~Reptiles & Dust~
~soon after the turn of the century~
~Quodlibet won the Marija Cerjak award~
~for avant-garde/experimental writing~
~Quodlibet~
~The Hundred Bites~
~XV~
~never knew a preacher~
~who stood down easy~
~except those too timid~
~to stand up in the first place~
~it is a sad fact~
~that too many fathers & mothers~
~talk down to their children~
~there is so much~
~daughters & sons could teach them~
~they grow away from the knowledge~
~the why they are here~
~pigeonholed & block-dammed~
~encouraged to be all they can be~
~most of what they are not~
~naturally~
~XV. Children/Song of Life~
~listening to children’s voices~
~most anytime the all-day long~
~these whom never see a stranger~
~treads silently ‘neath the midst of them~
~a mourning service assembled~
~attended by bearers~
~one chosen spoken~
~of rabbits alive in the heath~
~children what they need to hear~
~no rambling list of qualifier quantifier~
~what you are & what you have become~
~need know only they are loved~
~each nomad seizes love on the run~
~a leaning toward moving spaces~
http://wordwulf.com
WordWulf
Inquiries: tracy@traceliteraryagency.com
& wordwulf@wordwulf.com
©artwork & words conceived by & property of
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner©
Quodlibet was published by Howling Dog Press
~soon after the turn of the century~
~Quodlibet won the Marija Cerjak award~
~for avant-garde/experimental writing~
~Quodlibet~
~The Hundred Bites~
~XIV~
~I got to bathe first because I was oldest~
~my brother bathed last~
~because he was second of eight~
~& loved the least~
~that old galvanized tub of water was cold~
~& dirty damned bad~
~by the time he was plunked in~
~he was never as clean as the rest of us~
~ah hell nobody knew why~
~lazy lyin’ good-for-nothin’ cuss~
~he was always punished first though~
~learned to take it standing up~
~leather whip belt on his bare bony ass~
~when he went to prison
~his training paid off~
~he knew how to survive & grow~
~in a house of hate~
~now he’s a damned good monster~
~experiential~
~XIV. Community of the Damned~
~draw us a bath of muddy water~
~muted earth tones~
~name it life~
~stir in children’s laughter bubbles~
~a lifetime warrantee guaranteed~
~chromed steel handcuff~
~turn up the heat~
~amnesty for dead soldiers~
~a fistful of medals for families~
~who don’t give a damn anymore~
~left crying the nights~
~suffer us less~
~this cauldron steep~
~that we might achieve horizontal ascent~
~final resting place~
~become divided amongst a community of worms~
~with a sigh of relief~
~to belong at last~
http://wordwulf.com
WordWulf
Inquiries: tracy@traceliteraryagency.com
& wordwulf@wordwulf.com
©artwork & words conceived by & property of
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner©Quodlibet was published by Howling Dog Press
~soon after the turn of the century~
~Quodlibet won the Marija Cerjak award~
~for avant-garde/experimental writing~
~Quodlibet~
~The Hundred Bites~
~XIII~
~early mornings~
~I would get up & walk across the road~
~half a mile or so~
~she’d have the coffee hot~
~Momma~
~having arisen before the sun~
~to feed her bawling maverick calves~
~some days I’d stand back & watch~
~listen to her talk to them~
~the critters she would rescue~
~then we’d share a cup or two~
~before a hard day of ranch work~
~in the red dirt Wyoming~
~I would trade a thousand tomorrows~
~right now~
~for one of those yesterdays with her~
~XIII. Morning Voices/Music~
~a child playing~
~a man listening~
~ladies clinking coffee cups~
~the long leather of his weathered face~
~their graceful laughter~
~almost genteel~
~still the child’s fingers play~
~sorrow & gladness ride the man’s features~
~a lone tear slides down his cheek~
~stops to rest on the lips of his smile~
~what symphony of life this~
~such joy of morning living~
~instance of rapture simplified~
~complicity of random blessed event~
http://wordwulf.com
WordWulf
Inquiries: tracy@traceliteraryagency.com
& wordwulf@wordwulf.com
©artwork & words conceived by & property of
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner©
Quodlibet was published by Howling Dog Press
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