by Stephen House

Published in Issue No. 281 ~ October, 2020

crawling gentle on splintered wood

shards of trickle a smudge reminder

of my still alive continuing

 

did a muffled dream breathe isolated

or was combination itinerant scribe

nature presenting elementary grasp

 

nobody knew i played with dangerous

why discard compensation ongoing

endure dependent relies on silent

 

it was murky rain on broken past

that spelt me your eyes meant truth

only a fox smiles of not eat fresh kill

 

they must realize decades of try

to slap me down bred pointless

achieved their angst and my freedom

 

i’m no real poet of anything actual

an assembly devised in lockdown

became art form notorious slap

 

would the cluster believe joyful

comes from non-adherence be normal

essential queer chime takes final bow

 

ditto answers all when constructing

sliding chapters in pandemic scale

decades taught me heaven belief

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

account_box More About

Stephen House has had many plays commissioned and produced. He's won two Awgie Awards (Australian Writers Guild), The Rhonda Jancovic Poetry Award for Social Justice, Advertiser Best Playwright Prize & 2nd place in Poetry at Sawmillers Prize. He's been nominated for Patrick White & Queensland Premiers Drama Awards, Overland's Fair Australia Fiction Prize, a Greenroom Award for Best Actor and several poetry prizes. He's received Australia Council literature residencies to Canada and Ireland and an Asialink to India. He's been published by The Australian Script Center, Currency Press Australia, Australian Poetry Journal, grey borders magazine Canada, Third Street Writers USA, Burmingham Arts Journal USA, StylusLit Australia, The Blue Nib Ireland (in September), and many websites. He's performed his poetic monologues widely, most recent - "Almost Face To Face" and "Appalling Behavior." Stephen identifies as a Queer Nomad and is devoted to full-time travel, Yoga, the environment, art... and his writing & performing.