19 Comments
User's avatar
Vironika Wilde's avatar

Beautiful!

Lane E Michaels's avatar

“My ink doesn’t always know what paper wants”

“Please wait til I finish up my absence”

Stephen's avatar

thank you Lane!

Petra's avatar

This feels as if everything in the room is carrying emotion. “Please wait till I finish up my absence” is such an incredible line. “Revive my silent i’s / Misspell” ends this with such ache and humanity. Beautiful work. <3

Stephen's avatar

thank you Petra!

Kelly Trost's avatar

"Hush, we are frightening the wax"

Love this, Stephen!

Stephen's avatar

thank you Kelly! very nice of you to be here 😁

Ray Sweatman's avatar

Fine stuff, Stephen

Stephen's avatar

thank you mucho Ray!

Nora O’Dowd's avatar

Lovely and lyrical, Stephen. I also really liked “please wait till I finish up my absence’ and the candle imagery.

Stephen's avatar

thank you Nora! I truly appreciate it when you like .

Nora O’Dowd's avatar

You’re so welcome!

Stacey's avatar

like a love poem written from inside disappearance itself. the ending especially wrecked me…. “revive my silent i’s / misspell” is asking to be loved imperfectly rather than forgotten. the kind of writing that leaves fingerprints on silence.

Stephen's avatar

thank you Stacey! I always look forward to you reading.

erin's avatar

another darker one! hint of Zesta:)

Stephen's avatar

ha! thank you

Antonio Castellaneta's avatar

“Please wait till I finish up my absence” stayed with me. The whole piece feels like language trying to hold itself together while already slipping into disappearance. Strange and quietly haunting.

Stephen's avatar

thank you Antonio! I appreciate the comment.