I was on the telephone with my sister yesterday who came across my features on Sleep.Snort.Fuck for the first time. We had a conversation about writing because she’s working on her second book. Her feedback on my work sounded something like, ‘Dude you write some dark shit.’
I grinned and tee-heed but then started contemplating this. She’s right, I do write some dark shit. I, in fact, write shit so dark that I think people are shocked sometimes when they meet me in person floating around and blowing kisses.
Something I adore about words is this exact freedom. You can be anyone you want, you can tell a story from anyone’s view. You can play with your voice and completely transform an environment with structures of letters.
For example, let’s switch from chatty blog talk to some free form poetry. Watch how fast I become someone else, with nothing but words:
a picture of me
He speaks. Come over here.
And I move. Without speaking.
Without telling him.
Sometimes I want to be told.
A fist full of hip. A mouth full of tongue.
He picks me up. Like he owns me already.
Like he knows without me saying.
He carries me down a hallway.
An unfamiliar place. Thrown on a bed.
Belt buckle clang.
And he wants, but I said, and we both…
There’s a picture of a girl. She has blonde hair.
She’s hanging on the wall.
He’s breathing heavy. I’m watching her.
I wonder if they were happy together.
I wonder if he thinks I’m as pretty as her.
I wonder if he thinks I’m pretty at all.
He wants me to touch it.
I want to call her up.
I want to tell her how lucky she is.
I leave shortly after. Beneath a city sky.
Seeking a star to wish on.
Is there anyone out there?
Someone. To keep a photo of me.
Tell new girls I’m old.
While they fuck on my mattress.
Looking at my photograph.
Wondering about me.
… and I also write children’s literature.
In terms of ‘darkness’, I like writing about things that are taboo. Capturing what people think but don’t say out loud is where I think some of the best writing comes from. And relationships? Please. No other topic grabs guts like human interaction.
I think sometimes people get concerned when they read certain pieces… which must mean I’m good at what I do!
Back to it!
You write about things that many us us would rather not think about or discuss but lets face most us have done similar or at least fantasised about it, dark to some, real to others and downwrite brave to this walker between the worlds… keep on keeping on light sister, ya gotta know the dark to otherwise it’s all a sham!!
love to you brother gerri! thank you so much for your kind words. i firmly believe everything is balance. a lot my seeking through certain pieces is to capture moments exactly how you mention, put scenes forward people know exist but too often try to turn a blind eye to. tomorrow i’ll post something entirely different… it’s all about the mix 😉