Tag: Steven Concert

Everything Should Be a Love Poem by Steven Concert

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Everything Should Be a Love Poem

Awash in the warmth
of a morning sun’s sky,

row-on-row bloom
of white daffodils,

crunchy Cheerios
splashed with almond milk,

you inside a well-worn pair
of faded Levis,

deep inhaled scent
of sweet and sensuous lavender,

soft glow of a lighthouse
through coastal fog,

frivolity of a bubble wand
waved in summer sunshine,

open highway cruise
at 70 miles per hour,

pulse-through-my-chest beat
of rock -n- roll,

closeness
of a skin-to-skin hug,

glint of sand dollars half-buried
in dampened earth after high tide,

left-over lasagna
gently warmed in the oven,

orange kayak afloat on lake
hidden deep in Penn’s woods,

inhalation
of your manly sweat,

snow-covered everything
undisturbed the morning after,

smash-crash of glass
shattered on concrete,

each warm spoonful
of home-made sausage and lentil soup,

sensory deprivation immersion
into a Dali canvas,

paralysis of never-ending fear
of high places,

steamy mug of coffee
on a rainy afternoon,

gentle scratch of your facial hair
on my naked torso,

poetic verse
read before bedtime,

melatonin induced
relaxation,

cherished memories
of a life together,

revelry of truth
when it blindsides fiction,

silence of shared space
between soul mates,

the last rays of sun
in the evening sky.

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Queer American poet, Steven Concert has lived in the same small town for most of his life. He is a long-time member of the Pennsylvania Poetry Society as well as other state poetry organizations (OH, MN). His work has been published by Agates, Fixed & Free Quarterly, and the River Poets. Steven can be found on multiple social platforms: Facebook @ Paperless Poets, Blue Sky @PaperlessPoets.bsky.social, and Mastodon @PaperlessPoet

Steven is the author of three chapbooks—Too Blind to See (1996, reissued 2024), Standing in the Chaos (2006), No Mortar Required (2013)—and the full-length collection, Steer into the Skid (2022)

Broken Wishbone by Steven Concert

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Broken Wishbone

The sum total of everything
brought you to me. We used

to break wishbones together.
Each time you let me win,

knew my wish would
be for us, not me,

and the happiness
of a lifetime together.

Two haiku, we were the words
that made it to the page,

and together we were divisible
only by the nothing that remained.

*

Steven Concert, gay American poet, resides in northeastern Pennsylvania. In June, Steven was elected 1st Vice President of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. His work has been published by Discretionary Love, Agates, Common Threads, Cracked Walnut, and Mad Poets Society. Steven can be found on Facebook @ Paperless Poets.

Palms Up by Steven Concert

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Palms Up

Memories lashed together with lifelines,
I still hold love in my hands
three years since he was eaten alive.

Hidden monster gnawed from within,
its victory wore my defeat.

Time’s distance dims,
I still hear his voice echo

its reason and explanation
inside my head—

made him crazy every time
I peeled vegetables
pulling the peeler toward my wrist.

Life moves away from tragedy
while invisible tethers come undone.

*

Steven Concert, a gay American poet, is a native of upstate New York who was transplanted to northeastern Pennsylvania at a very young age. His manuscript was named a finalist in the 2021 Stevens Manuscript Poetry competition (NFSPS Press), and his poetry was awarded first place in Creative York’s 2021 Writer’s Eye Competition. Steven serves on the Executive Boards of both the Pennsylvania Poetry Society and National Federation of State Poetry Societies. He is current editor of the Mad Poet Society’s digital quarterly newsletter, the Pulse. He can be found on Facebook @ Paperless Poets.