SurVision Magazine / Nicholas Papaxanthos

After Mark Laba After Mack Bolan

choked whispers
tugged at the innards,
the laundry chute
like a cigarette, the spit
ten degrees warmer.
the smell, partially
slumped in shadow,
took two long
strides and toed
the nostrils.

*

the eyes stretched a look
around the dim light.
footsteps picked
along the perimeter.
the forehead bunched,
paused halfway to the door
when the corner of a
thumb jerked out
the distance to
flat-nothing, painted
like an empty wall.

*

the air revealed songs
in praise of corrosives,
the sky blotted pink
by the fondling of clouds.
the valuable medicine aimed
at the head. fear
drizzled around the mouth
of the orifice, the head
jerking between legs.
a face reflected
in the sweat
of a heaving bosom
tilted an eye, mindless,
sexy as ever.

*

entrail tunes
wheezed over the death barrier,
remarkable stains in the
undergarments
panting into the fabric.
beneath the wig
at the end of the hall,
signs of the struggling
muscle. life jumped
leaving the air
like a white sweater
pulled over a head,
gnashing the face off.
fragments of chaos
stuffed up a God-spot.
the night's top lip
pulled over the
bedroom window, securing
a location in the disturbance, a blemish
propped up against
the last spatter of light.

*

one head tilted back
in the coupon-shaking wind,
comb-over of dream...
halfway across the desk
a phone call
stubbed the ear out.
slow splinters of rain
toughed up the lawn.
the heart proceeded
to the front of the bullet.
a smile tucked
into the face
like wet bread
through a mail-slot.

Nicholas Papaxanthos grew up in Lefkosia, Cyprus, and lives in Montreal. His work has appeared in various magazines, including Illiterature, The New Chief Tongue, Cosmonauts Avenue, Lemonhound, Lake Effect 5 and This Magazine. He is the author of the chapbook Teeth, Untucked (Proper Tales Press, 2011) and the winner of the 2014 John Lent Poetry-Prose Award for his chapbook manuscript Wearing Your Pants. His first poetry collection, Love me Tender, was published by Mansfield Press in 2015.

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An international online magazine that publishes Surrealist poetry in English. Issue One NICHOLAS PAPAXANTHOS After Mark Laba After Mack Bolan choked whispers tugged at the innards, the laundry chute like a cigarette, the spit ten degrees warmer. the smell, partially slumped in shadow, took two long strides and toed the nostrils. * the eyes stretched a look around the dim light. footsteps picked along the perimeter. the forehead bunched, paused halfway to the door when the corner of a thumb jerked out the distance to flat-nothing, painted like an empty wall. * the air revealed songs in praise of corrosives, the sky blotted pink by the fondling of clouds. the valuable medicine aimed at the head. fear drizzled around the mouth of the orifice, the head jerking between legs. a face reflected in the sweat of a heaving bosom tilted an eye, mindless, sexy as ever. * entrail tunes wheezed over the death barrier, remarkable stains in the undergarments panting into the fabric. beneath the wig at the end of the hall, signs of the struggling muscle. life jumped leaving the air like a white sweater pulled over a head, gnashing the face off. fragments of chaos stuffed up a God-spot. the night's top lip pulled over the bedroom window, securing a location in the disturbance, a blemish propped up against the last spatter of light. * one head tilted back in the coupon-shaking wind, comb-over of dream... halfway across the desk a phone call stubbed the ear out. slow splinters of rain toughed up the lawn. the heart proceeded to the front of the bullet. a smile tucked into the face like wet bread through a mail-slot. Nicholas Papaxanthos grew up in Lefkosia, Cyprus, and lives in Montreal. His work has appeared in various magazines, including Illiterature, The New Chief Tongue, Cosmonauts Avenue, Lemonhound, Lake Effect 5 and This Magazine. He is the author of the chapbook Teeth, Untucked (Proper Tales Press, 2011) and the winner of the 2014 John Lent Poetry-Prose Award for his chapbook manuscript Wearing Your Pants. His first poetry collection, Love me Tender, was published by Mansfield Press in 2015.
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