‘NIGHTMARE WITHOUT A HORSE’ & ‘KICKING THE SHIT OUT OF MYSELF STEEL-TOED THREE A.M.’

Suwan Choi is an artist inspired by the beauty of nature, with a special affection toward ladybugs. The vibrant, detailed work highlights the ecological value of insects!

NIGHTMARE WITHOUT A HORSE

ever the night sparks

ever the night speaks

rasping

my son my son

where have you gone

muffled steps unchecked

I walk further further further

away

bleeding into the darkness

drip drip

 swaying grasses take up the refrain

my son my son my son

while beneath neglected stones

the dead they

cannot hear me

sobbing

KICKING THE SHIT OUT OF MYSELF STEEL-TOED THREE A.M. 

Released, my boots,

open-mouther breathers

the tongue sweaty

laces finally undone.

Been a day.

Whatever it is

stuck to the sole,

don’t touch it.

I’ve always been a boot guy

not a slipper dude

sneaker collector

or flip-flopper.

Boots answer me,

punch with each step,

they squeeze my ankles

and kick back.

I like the way

boots look on women,

not the slouches

or cowboy boots

but over the knee

thigh-high boots

that say I mean it.

Once

a woman stood 

by the jukebox

in black black boots

stomped with snow.

“Nice boots, babe,”

I said, manfully 

drunk and stupid.

She left in a huff,

took my date with her.

I don’t know if she was

blond or brunette,

but the boots

the boots I remember.

They fit.

Get up off the chair,

feel that knock-kneed

piss sleep coming.

Was that two beers

or three?

A shot chased 

to fall face-plant

into bed,

the safer chamber

the one

without a bullet

waiting.

Travis Stephens is a tugboat captain who lives and works with his family in California. His book of poetry, “skeeter bit & still drunk” was published by Finishing Line Press. Visit him at: zolothstephenswriters.com