<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A Conspiracy of Chapstick<\/strong><\/p>\n I think it’s for the same reasons It is these tragedies and masochisms So instead of wondering where So if tonight I am outside of your window Because it is too well known <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Levi Andrew Noe<\/strong> was born and raised in Denver, CO. Levi won first prize in 2011 and 2013 in\u00a0Spirit First\u2019s\u00a0international poetry competition. His works have appeared in\u00a0Twisted Vine,\u00a0River Poets Journal, Elephant Journal,<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Japan Travel<\/em>,\u00a0among others.\u00a0\u00a0 He is the editor in chief and founder of the podcast Rocky Mountain Revival, Audio Art Journal, which can be found on iTunes or Stitcher.\u00a0 Podcast:\u00a0http:\/\/rockymtnrevival.libsyn.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Conspiracy of Chapstick I think it’s for the same reasons that artists do their best work when they’re heart shattered, tormented or why musicians make better music when they haven’t been sober for longer than they can remember. It is these tragedies and masochisms that invoke the muse. She won’t just […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-prose-poetry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9561"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9564,"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9561\/revisions\/9564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nthat artists do their best work
\nwhen they’re heart shattered, tormented
\nor why musicians make better music
\nwhen they haven’t been sober
\nfor longer than they can remember.<\/p>\n
\nthat invoke the muse.
\nShe won’t just rake her sweet claws
\nupon the face of any desperate simpleton.<\/p>\n
\nthe inspiration is I have modified
\nthe questions: What sacrifices of body,
\nsoul or mind have I slit the throat of lately?
\nWhat atrocities have been committed upon
\nmy person? Am I walking the edge of the blade
\nof sobriety quite properly?
\nIf I must imagine or dig too deep
\nfor an answer I know quite objectively
\nthat as a would be writer
\nI have not earned my keep.<\/p>\n
\nwooing you even though I know
\nfull well that your husband sleeps
\nbeside you,
\nor if tomorrow you see me
\non the sleaziest corner of the
\nmost syphilitic street, don’t
\napproach, don’t try to intervene.
\nI’m researching, I’m working
\nfor the Muse’s most measly
\nseeds of devastation.<\/p>\n
\nthat it isn’t perseverance or
\ndedication that publishers sell.
\nIt isn’t a five course meal
\nof balanced craft, invention, and syntax
\nthat waters the mouths of the critics.
\nIt is the raw, festering wounds of
\nsuffering and martyrdom
\nthat give readers a reason
\nto lick their lips,
\nand buy more chapstick.<\/p>\n