Phantoms
Fear our return?
Fanaticism follows my reclaimed trail
Some blinding figment leading the blind
| Eyes | Ears | Lips | Skin | Hair | Heir |
An arid assemblage of assuaged sons for
Salving sakes of saving our souls
Heeding a call, envisioning their fall
To shared beginnings ↑↑
From esoteric endings ↓↓
Equanimity meets e-x-p-o-s-u-r-e with
Me in my mendacity, my frisson mind
Mindfulness? Heedlessness??
No, dolent for locus lessons learned
Circumvoluted arcana Arcangel
An obsolescent lumen ceding prudence
Warping philosophies and polemical
R
E
A
L
I
T
I
E
S
So, pray for us, you beautiful boys in the
Pulchritudinous prime of silvern
Perfection comes with the cautionary
Cost of roguish voguish poise, cursed
Causes posing as hedonism
Masked by every lexicographic acronym
L. G. B. T. I. Q. A. +
Dance around me in plagued tones of
Every sublimate shade of the rainbow
Do tell "TuTeLaRy TrUtHs"
Of tongue-tied, loquacious lollipop lies
Pardon me as I pout, questioning
Nightshade parables with an occultist
((((((((((((((((((Mouth))))))))))))))))))
Speak up, philistine phantoms, will any
Of you make a damned, dogmatic,
Difference?
(c) Edward Swafford 2026
**TITLE IMAGE URL.
About the Creator
Edward Swafford
Hello! I'm an Australian writer and healthcare professional. I've written on Medium for over two years, run Black Coffee Creative on Substack (over 1000 subscribers), with select work published in lit mags 😴.
Edgy syntax is my bailiwick.
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Scones
Alright, let's not fuck about - here is what you need: Ingredients: 350g self raising flour 90g butter pinch of salt tsp of baking powder 3 tbsp caster sugar (or just normal white sugar would probably be fine) 175ml milk a squeeze of lemon a drop of vanilla an egg fresh strawberries, if they're in season Extra flour Even more flour Dried fruit (I consider this completely optional and usually leave it out)
By L.C. Schäfer5 days ago in Feast
Comments (1)
I have just sat with my phone in one hand (poem open) & computer in front of me (dictionary page open) and I *feel* like I might be close to an understanding or at least an interpretation based on my social location. And if not, I have definitely expanded my vocabulary!! Regardless, I love it. The things that are coming to me (but are not as yet formed into any kind of narrative of “about-ness” are: - catholicism (or some other kind of canoned faith) - tarot (or a “taboo” other end of spectrum spirituality or faith, at odds with the original canon) - drag mothers - I sense something of a rebellious realisation of being sucked into something under the guise of care, that is really jumping from one cultish (or occultish) exploitation to another. - there’s something subversive there. Anyhoo…am I on track for a gold star or waaaayyyyy off??