Homeward Bound
I sang to my Father
on his deathbed.
He had not spoken a word
in days, cancer-ridden,
organs collapsing, high on morphine,
but I knew he could still hear me. Continue reading “2 Poems by Scott Thomas Outlar”
Radio Molar Signal
One moss harbor,
winding clocks in center’s orbit, wobbling
circus –
three camera’s, a candle vessel – paddling through power lines, black then white.
Sure – a noise dreamt cricket –
Weave these prayers into flux –
refine metals, resemble the limbo we sing in fisheries,
under long,
black silhouettes
shining onto one light, our mugwort song. Continue reading “2 Poems by Fin Sorrel”
ANONYMOUS ROOMS
Five hundred miles off
On a night of no surrender
Amid the bedrock and the pine
In the anonymous rooms
Where we whisper salvations
To the prayer flags on the walls
For the sake of our sins
Now fixed upon the surface
Of the love we yield to the grave
At the gates of some heaven
When the message comes clear
This damn destiny is all we deserve
With one of the poems that opens Edition 01 of The Arsonist Magazine here is the incredible Canadian poet and artist stephanie roberts reading ‘Catawampus’!
Gravity Falls, the Dusk is Claimed
Return your tray to the window on the right.
Ignore the grasping hands within.
They jigger the lights as you walk to remind you,
never a footfall invests in the shadow lines
without a hesitation. Continue reading “‘Gravity Falls, the Dusk is Claimed’ by Matthew Smart”
FIRST KISS
Bone tongue sticking out of grinning knee,
a mouth where it shouldn’t be,
wet and pink like a lizard’s gawp,
a mean mimic of the mouth
that’s screaming into silence
the whole of the playground. Continue reading “3 Poems by Thomas McColl”
The Arsonist Magazine Edition 01 will be officially launched on Thursday 22nd June at Nottingham’s Chameleon Arts Cafe!
The magazine has been printed, is looking fantastic, and will soon be available from our online shop.
The launch event is free entry, and will feature an open mic, and readings by contributors from the magazine, headlined by Derby’s finest, Jamie Thrasivoulou!
Really hope to see you there – copies of the Arsonist will be available for purchase on the night – see you there! XX
Shimmering Pebbles
May your world be cast
Into tiny shimmering pebbles
Set upon a bookshelf
Arranged in the chapters of your life Continue reading “‘Shimmering Pebbles’ by Martin Dean”
Some cold Jan morning Cruz and I were sitting at a Neon Express coffee bar, mouthing off about BlackGenie’s latest album cover; mirrored vinyl shining through star shaped perforations in the polyplas sleeve, a mini constellation in the shape of the BG’s glyph. Cruz strongly disagreeing with the criticism that I’m laying down on the lack of artistry “…any one can just cut a bit of the sleeve out to show the vinyl underneath, but what’s the story… you know ?. This album is about something, so why don’t they make a picture of it ?, this isn’t album art it’s packaging design man…!” after gulping his stale Mericano Cruz casually wiped his mouth and replies “you think with your eyes too much bud…”, sighing I put the album down on the counter and reach for my quadro espresso. “you know what I’m saying Cruz, I know you do…” Continue reading “‘Shoot Out At The Neon Express’ by Simon Woodward”
The Best Of A Bad Situation – by Jamie Thrasivoulou
– poetry collection published by Silhouette Press
Jamie Thrasivoulou has seen the zeitgeist and, to be honest, he’s disgusted. These poems are translators of tarmac, asphalt whisperers, mediators of a sonic correspondence between broken hearts and broken promises, busted causeways and lost causes, high hopes fallen down and low-roads taken up. One of the greatest sights in contemporary poetry is to witness Jamie Thrasivoulou explode these poems on an unsuspecting audience. Let’s call it the truth, let’s call it word and testimony, let’s call it the salvo and the salve, let’s call it what it is. ‘The Best Of A Bad Situation’ is the most urgent, vital collection of poetry you will read all year. This is gonna hurt you much more than it will Jamie, but it’s a word-surgery that the body and mind require. Don’t thank the man, he doesn’t want nor need it. Just buy this book, read it, imbibe it’s blood-spirit and turn your life over to the justice and insistences of its restorative frequencies.
– Miggy Angel, author of ‘Grime Kerbstone Psalms’
Continue reading “The Best Of A Bad Situation – Jamie Thrasivoulou”
the following story contains content relating to self-harm which could be triggering to some readers
“Tell me what you know.”
“I don’t know anything.”
“Tell me how you feel then.”
“Honestly, I don’t feel anything. Please. Please don’t. Fucking hell. Please don’t do that.” Continue reading ““Tell me what you know.” – by Jonathan Taylor”
Between the years 1990 – ’93, the poet Paul Hawkins was squatter/occupier/protestor in one of the most contested of spaces in the U.K.’s recent and past history of place-and-occupancy wars. Claremont Road, in London’s East End, was an occupied site and scene for the protests of the ‘No M11 Link Road Campaign’. Paul Hawkins was there, and has documented what took place in his book, Place Waste Dissent, published by Influx Press.
In the foreword to the book, Alice Nutter refers to Claremont Road as ‘the symbol of resistance to the road-building programme of the early ’90s’ – Place Waste Dissent operates not only as flame held close as intimate torchlight illuminating that symbol, but as intravenous entry point into the sign itself. An immersive invocation of the sign and the times it symbolises, a border-shamanic reanimation act that brings Claremont Road back breathing bleeding spitting and bounding into the now. Into the Now that requires reckoning with what was and is still its Then.
Hush
Our girls walk with their hands in their pockets. Arms over bellies.
Slip through this city.
Stay soft, our girls are told. Stay quiet.
Our girls who drop their chins and gazes as they pass your boys.
Your boys who smile like they’ve never known sadness. Continue reading “‘Hush’ by Kate Berwanger”
Firewoman Shimmies at Canyon Mouth Park
Your hair—slicked flame spikes. You built this blaze
beside the shoals to mirror their brash shine.
Scavenging downed wood along the water’s edge,
collecting branches up the pass— sunshine’s spring splurge—
our daughters found tangled nests— driftwood globes—
balled stakes, stems, moss and trash—fuel for fire shine. Continue reading “5 Poems by Laura Secord”
First Class Stamp
Terence Stamp in ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’, that’s who I think of as the doctor pokes about my ancient lady bits. Terence Stamp in his cavalry outfit on a hillside, jacket red as rose hip. It’s a nicer picture, that, than the top of this doctor’s head, all mottled like the backs of my hands. No, it’s worse, more like the bottom of a teacup with the floaty bits left. He wants to be careful with that. Continue reading “‘First Class Stamp’ by Nick Black”
BURNING HOUSE PRESS 
The Arsonist Magazine Editon 01 Now Available For Purchase!!!
The Arsonist Magazine Edition 01 – available to purchase here
Featuring the best poetry, flash fiction, photography, art, interviews and features from around the world, including the UK, Japan, Canada, USA, Malaysia, India, Philippines, Sweden:
stephanie roberts – Saquina Karla C. Guiam – Penny Goring – Adrianna Robertson – Anneghem Wall – Dawn Fredericks – badpoem – Dean Lilleyman – Antony Owen – Aina Izzah – Bruno Neiva – Paul Hawkins – Keith Ford – Joseph Ridgwell – Dhiyanah Hassan – C. R. Resetarits – Rob True – Sophie Pitchford – Jamie Thrasivoulou – Martin Appleby – Liz Zumin – Siddharth Dasgupta – Ben Williams – Caitlin Meredith – Adam Steiner – Jim Gibson – V.M. – Fredric Nord – Mark Goodwin – Hiromi Suzuki – Trevor Wright – Howie Good
The Arsonist Magazine Edition 01 is a 92 page full colour/b&w matt/gloss perfect-bound A5 magazine (this is a limited edition and, being the inaugural print publication from Burning House Press, is sure to be a collectible item)
The Arsonist Magazine Edition 01 – available to purchase here
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