Works of Jared A.D. Radtke

First Steps to Victory

Greeting my heroes for the first time in months,

bowing at their stanza pages for revrant wisdom,

In the low-down uptown cafe,

I snatch the whisper of memory incense.

Lingering from my corded sweater,

Burned in happy obsession and calmifications,

The incense is a beautiful teacher with fiery hair -

Who snapped and poofed away my potassium torch

I used to burn a hole in my chest

To fill with obsidian marbles and coal-lead monoliths

- that asked "what are you doing there?"

To a gremlin rocking back in forth in the corner of my skull

Gnawing on my liver muttering,

"My work is all I have"

"But isn't it beautiful?"

"Isn't it beautiful???????"

And new prophets, and incense and grass graced me.

Explained to the gremlin that New Years had passed.

Valentines was approaching.

I'd need it back... everything.

So the gremlin sneered -- "Fine then!"

And rung the juices and tears out of my ragged liver,

Squeezed...

And squeezed,

Until my machine-face buckled.

As I gasped for expressions of love and breathing,

Incense plunged into my back

Punished the gremlin with a kiss

And it cried with me in apology.

Now, the incense fills my nostrils

Grand stars and christmas lights, gouache and leather notebooks, cheeks and music, incense;

Welcome home