The July Editor's Pick Poet is

Nathan Rock

Please feel free to email Nathan at: xnrockx@gmail.com

SUN DAZE

I saw the sky turn vibrant blue,
Or some other shade of a vibrant hue.
Above the sun glows ominous red,
As roses, below, in fields lay dead.
They’ve been murdered from some unknown cause,
Leaving shadows unstopped in their twisted crawl.

Now butterflies, beautiful and bright,
Are falling dead in the melting sky.
And children collect them up with glee
To pin their wings on a corkboard screen.

The clouds pull apart, thread by thread,
And weave new secrets in their stead.
As they cover up this lust-less affair,
I found the courage to offer a prayer
To a higher being whose death we lament
And again initiate this despicable, repeated descent.

Now the sky turns from blue to grey,
As the scorching sun begins to wane.
Another day our lives grow dire,
Burning hopes and dreams in an inspiring pyre.

JOURNEY

Sitting alone in an empty room,
Dreaming thoughts and visions of you
As the fire cracks, hisses, and pops
Its song into the stale dry air.

The wind begins to groan and heave,
As rain forces away the heat,
And the pattering of each drop
Tells stories of their journey home.

Staring into the lightless sky,
The stars remind of your diamond eyes.
I can’t help to wonder of your journey
And when you would end your venture home.

I’ll never forget the words you said
Or the saddening of the night you left,
And I was abandoned like a child
Upon the step of some stranger’s door.

You said, “Don’t fret or cry for me.
This is a journey I must see
Through till the end so I may be
The woman you can be proud to call your own.”

But that was days and weeks on end.
And you never wrote and never sent
Any word to confirm the beasts you battled
Fell defeated at you feet.

Were they so grim and ghastly?
Did they scare you? Hurt you? And lastly
Did they finally claim the life
Of the one I find so fair?

I can’t imagine you would run and hide.
Instead to stand with a courageous stride,
And try to force out the voices
That found their way inside your mind.

I know they distort your mental vision
As you lie tied in a white room twisting.
Trying to find my voice among
The many hundred that are present.

The demon again makes his presence
From head to toe in white clothes swaying.
His teeth, like needles, pierce your skin
And inject a liquid deep within.

Still, I can’t imagine you would run and hide.
Instead to stand with a righteous stride,
And I know one day you will return.
All the demons defeated at your feet.

Now sitting amongst the dark and cold,
On the bed, in our room, alone.
Listening to the wind blow and moan.
As if wishing to come inside our home.

I hide beneath the satin sheets,
As I breathe a sigh of disbelief,
My brain whirls in a dizzying blur,
While I think of thoughts, that thought of her.

I can’t imagine you would run and hide.
Instead to stand with a courageous stride.
But I am not one that is so brave,
So for you I’ll wait…
…And hide…
…And pray.

BEAUTIFULLY SCREAMING

Walking across a creaking wooden floor, each step
Hits with a thump like a note struck on a piano
Playing in
Bb minor

Eyes that stare into the very soul, each gaze
Piercing like a staccato chord on a violin
Surprisingly   
Terrifying

A hand slowly reaches for the smooth skin of a bare
Neck, a heart beating so loud like a full orchestra
Preparing       
The finale

Another b-movie scream-queen immortalized by
Blood on the silver screen, and loved forever
More for her death    
Less for her life

Nathan Rock is a writer from Houston, Texas. He studied Creative Writing at Kent State University and the University of Houston. He has been writing for as long as he can remember and has recently started to prepare his work for publication.

He was inspired to write after reading the works of Edgar Allan Poe. His work is centered on horror, suspense and the macabre. He can be found online at Facebook.com/NathanRockWriter