APOCALYPSE CONFIDENTIAL

a journal of edgy extrapolations, fringe fascinations, occult obsessions, risky ruminations, and aberrant associations.

UNTITLED (2023)

APOCALYPSE CONFIDENTIAL

Title: Untitled (2023) Description: A large white canvas. Thick brushstrokes of acrylic: red, pink. Yellow wax crayon. Lead pencil. Strip of blue oil pastel along base of canvas. A dialogue in two parts between the artist and their mother regarding Untitled (2023). *** I wish I had never brought the painting home. It looked so UNTITLED (2023)

TWO QUINTAINS

APOCALYPSE CONFIDENTIAL

Cousins of mine—I know of none, exceptfor one I met in sleep last night—a blondewith eyes the colour of frozen soil. We fellin love; but knew it couldn’t be… Desireand prohibition—as deep as dream, their bond. *** To be addicted—isn’t that to live?To line with substances the body’s pithin all the walled-in mania of love;and TWO QUINTAINS

A TOWN IN THE WOODS

APOCALYPSE CONFIDENTIAL

Part One: N 1. In our town there are six streets and six houses and nineteen people who live here. Each street connects to one other street which connects to one other street and nothing else. The remaining stubs of pavement slide down the throat of the forest like long strips of shredded meat. 2. A TOWN IN THE WOODS

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP

APOCALYPSE CONFIDENTIAL

I’ve been in a dark place since the accident. I know I need to let her go, to accept that I’m never going to see her again, but I can’t. I can’t rest. I can’t lie still. I can’t move on. All I can do is think about her. My wife. My love. My Lisa. THINGS ARE LOOKING UP

SUMMER OF ED AND KALLIE

APOCALYPSE CONFIDENTIAL

Flipping through action figures, Kallie failed to find the Ewok her son wanted and came a split-second away from pulling the rack to the floor, her side-eye catching another woman approaching from the left. A rich bitch in a hot pink linen dress. Her purse and heels matched her outfit, and her long brunette hair SUMMER OF ED AND KALLIE

SOUTH BEACH

APOCALYPSE CONFIDENTIAL

The woman had long black hair. Her skin was carmel colored, her features dark, even darker with black makeup around her eyes. Her bikini was also black. One of her legs lay straight on her black towel, the other bent at the knee, pointing towards the sky. Her hips parted slightly. Her face rested in SOUTH BEACH

THE SONG OF THE HARPER

APOCALYPSE CONFIDENTIAL

The sun hadn’t risen yet but the dark oven heat of August was enough to turn on the air conditioner and agitate Baker awake— even an economical setting of 83 degrees on the thermostat was pointless in keeping his room quiet. He sat naked on the edge of his bed, blinded by the pitch black THE SONG OF THE HARPER

“SNAIL MAIL”

APOCALYPSE CONFIDENTIAL

Two dragonflies hoverin an envelope of air,a flying fuck,outside the new post officewhich is for loversonly. The old bald eaglehas been retired, the wholeidea of flight entirely revised:Snail me a rectangle, love.Let your tongue(delicacy I’m dreaming of)secrete a slimy path alongits flap, its onevestigial wing. Pop it in a bluedrop on any cornerbearing the new “SNAIL MAIL”

SHNOOKUMS

APOCALYPSE CONFIDENTIAL

I. the first thing you sculpted me was a heart of clay. you gave it to me in a crocheted purple and pink bag — full of small chocolates. between those sugary treats, wrapped in gift paper, sat Heart Dude. you said it was me. the heart flexed its bicep, smirking confidently. in my early SHNOOKUMS

THE PRISONER

APOCALYPSE CONFIDENTIAL

[Run program: ID-60935] Time is ambient to me now. We are already dead. We have not yet been born. I can’t remember the last time I saw your face. Nothing concrete jumps out, just images. Dust motes floating in a late afternoon shaft of light in our bedroom. How many times has the mote been THE PRISONER