the poetry knook, the poetry of stephen m. james

Staring into the sun

staring into the sun
burns my retinas
leaving a spot I cannot correct
with my will
staring into the darkness
waiting for another night to load. . . 10
another picture, another page 20
alone, all the same,
the children, the adults, the in-betweens, 35

Lola eat a another one–
swallow me whole,
because there’s no going back
now, it’s just up and down, 55
he…he. . . up and down–
this infinite loop’s got to end someday
like the guilt disease–like me, 87
for boys don’t cry
except when they’re against a beast
that won’t release–his claws
because he’s not a problem. 100%

with my story:
the children, the adults, the in-betweens,
not alone, not the same,
not another picture, not another page–
I stand naked in the light.


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© 1993-2025 by Stephen M. James.