Poetry: Heath Brougher

Heath Brougher

Byproducts

April is the month of poetry

and of the great “illimitably earth”—

but wait a tic… we must reremind ourselves 

every newborn second that we are,

at all times bound by our human perceptions 

that have worked lacerations into the Earth 

in order to fit and fill the manipulation of our eyes and ears—

a rending of the vale, an over-personification of nature.

We may see life abloom but, in Truth, 

 April = birth and death as it always has—

I guess we just write about the life part more.

***

Bio: Heath Brougher is the editor-in-chief of Concrete Mist Press as well as poetry editor for Into the Void Magazine.

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Setu, April 2023

Heath Brougher (Western Voices 2023)

Bio: Heath Brougher is the Editor-in-Chief of Concrete Mist Press and co-poetry editor of Into the Void, winner of the 2017 and 2018 Saboteur Awards for Best Magazine. He received Taj Mahal Review’s 2018 Poet of the Year Award and is a multiple Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee. He was also awarded the 2020 Wakefield Prize for Poetry. He has published 11 books and, after spending over three years editing the work of others, is ready to get back into the creative driver seat for a bit. He has four new forthcoming books, including his first book of nonfiction.

Politick 

You are tantamount to the chaos and killing occurring in spontaneous riots. You feast upon your brothers and sisters. You have the audacity to consider yourself “the chosen one.” You cause the summers to end early. You rust the silver linings. You have never raised the bells. You’ve only brightened the blight. You are jargon and rotgut. You are racism and radiated rats. You are searingly superfluous and continuously cough craziness into the world. Your existence makes this human experience a darker place.

***

 

Talons

Does absolute zero smell

similar to the abyss?

 

I ask because my shadow

can no longer be contained in a pixel.

Not even a spent half gallon of pi.

 

It's time to break

from living in the biggest buckets

we can fit on our heads.

 

The end of death will never come to fruition

but we can try to sight as much light as possible.

 

Enoch and Ah Pook go their separate ways.

***

 

 

Wicked Whereabouts

Within and without the sheepfolds and lurk-lounges you attempt to escape/evade/elude/invisify yourself but, even with the guise of a noon dressed as midnight, there is no way to hide the scourge of your materialistic makeup. You are nothing more than swine bathing in pools of insanity. You are on the outside of Humanity’s inside joke. We wish we could weep for you but after all you’ve done our tear ducts are parched as a ragged desert bone.

***

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Western Voices 2023 :: Setu, February 2023

Poetry: Heath Brougher

Heath Brougher

Built to Scumble

 

Social scumbling. An entire gallery  

of creatures blowing their brains out.  

Entire hallways decorated in fringe death. 

This is not Deathtalk for Suicidefans ! 

That’s a different book. Wrote it when I was 20. 

Back before I knew the True depths of death. 

 

Do not put your hands out 

for I have nothing to give you.  

***

 

 

The Multiverse Cracks the Window

This Multiverse has always been impersonal,

                      angering us by never becoming

the personified version we demanded of it

                       as we made feeble attempts to change it to fit our perceptions.

Understanding the secret of the Multiverse

                        would bring upon Epiphany-riddled rain

and transcendental tuffs of wind would revel in the sky.

 

Such triumphant truth would be the epitome and we would

                      cut it into a trillion tiny pieces,

place them in small palm-sized boxes

                       and spread them across the Earth

for the safety of such severely sought after information,

                        we would protect at all costs,

similar to an Individual’s Intellect.

 

The thing - our minds have natural tendencies toward "making sense". It is an element of a survival instinct that after generations of comforting was left to its own devices and got beyond blatantly bored that it jumps/flicks/jolts on every opportunity to do its thing - to make sense out of something no matter what. This poem gives the mind a chance to run wild a bit only to realize at some point that at times there is no thing to make sense of. 

***

Meditative Medicinals

A healing and galactic hand reached forth containing a Multiversal medicine in the form of a pill to ensure the health of a perfectly pure luminiferous sentience into the safety of a vibrantly pulsating celebration and suchness of this limitless Multidimensional Existence. 

***

 

Soul War

The tiniest of people can spark the biggest flames. 

Even the dullest, yet honest, man can burn it all down if he wishes 

to see charms and political angels plummet to the ground

as the fat and happy idiotic sultans living

in an invisible kingdom they call Freedom

have their spirits crushed in a sudden panic attack—

every last one of them with some degree of blood on their hands. 

 

They can all be jarred, wrecked, destroyed

by a simplistic act committed by a magnanimous army of one. 

***

The Simultaneous River

A canvas of emptiness, of infinite space,

a river of the golden—

of the great spiral—

of Infinitude—   

of nothing more than another one of God’s dreams— 

of nothing but the Simultanium of existence and nonexistence. 

***

Bio: Heath Brougher is the Editor-in-Chief of Concrete Mist Press and co-poetry editor of Into the Void, winner of the 2017 and 2018 Saboteur Awards for Best Magazine. He received Taj Mahal Review’s 2018 Poet of the Year Award and is a multiple Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee. In 2020, he was awarded the Wakefield Prize for Poetry. He has published 11 books and, after spending over three years editing the work of others, is ready to get back into the creative driver seat for a bit. He has four books forthcoming in 2022 and 2023.

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Setu, August 2022

Heath Brougher (Western Voices 2022)

Bio: Heath Brougher is the Editor-in-Chief of Concrete Mist Press and co-poetry editor of Into the Void, winner of the 2017 and 2018 Saboteur Awards for Best Magazine. He received Taj Mahal Review’s 2018 Poet of the Year Award and is a multiple Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee. He was awarded the 2020 Wakefield Prize for Poetry. He has published 11 books and, after spending over two years editing the work of others, is ready to get back into the creative driver seat. He has four books forthcoming in 2022. 

Parabola 

Although four degrees warmer

he felt cold and ugly 

in the sober hush

of rosetta patience, giving blood—

the first time he let go 

of his childhood’s prison sex

under a dead Ohio sky.

Ahhh, f**k! Here we go again!

He dropped sweat at the bottom

of an aeon blue apocalypse,

a schism of the soul, 

disgustipated dismantled societies,

the flood of a tempest’s energies

descending into his newly invincible head

after deciding to make weapons 

out of his imperfections. 

(SPECIAL PART ADDED FOR TOOL FANS IN LIEU OF RECENT EVENTS CONCERNING SOME KIND OF DEMENTED RATIOCINATIVE FINNEGANS WAKE-INSPIRED KAFKAESQUE ENDING OF A BAND I USED TO GREATLY ADMIRE!)

I went on a chocolate chip trip 

but only found litanies against fear 

and the thrumming of an underwhelming mockingbeat 

before I took the opiate that caused me pain,

realizing all these years the joke has been on us!

***

Systemia  

Generations of children educated 

by Pavlovian ritual and outright mania

have their questions and curiosity quelled 

by age 10 at the Obedient Worker Factory.

This is done by decree of the Owners.

The stain of a mustard-seed could appear ugly

but it could also be beautiful. No one

would know about that in these vacuous hallways. 

Beauty and integral foundries 

are not friends with the curriculum.

They are housed in dense shadows of oblivion.

 

Teacher sends little miss sunshine 

to the principal’s office 

for writing a love letter to god

and as she enters the mediocrity enthusiast’s 

monochromatic roomful of poisonous mirrors 

the authority king quickly stashes 

his love letter to satan in a drawer.

Not a moment aglow or miraculous  

on the tilted battlefield 

and this is but one example 

of the insidiousness of the 0.0001% wealthiest american’s 

evil empire. They only speak about it amongst themselves. 

“We don’t think or care about mass enslavement”

said a member of the billionaire elite. 

“We consider it a sign the machine is running smoothly.”

***

Titleless 

An egg 

is broken.

The Earth comes to an end. 

Worms in the necropolis.

This had

nothing to 

do with a lack of adversaries. 

There was never a shortage of those. 

***

---

Setu, April 2022

Heath Brougher: Poetry (Western Voices 2021)

Bio: Heath Brougher is Editor-in-Chief of Concrete Mist Press and poetry editor of Into the Void, winner of the 2017 and 2018 Saboteur Awards for Best Magazine. He is a multiple Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee as well as winner of Taj Mahal Review's 2018 Poet of the Year Award. His most recent collection is "Bleeding Backwards" (Diaphanous Press, 2019). His work can be found in various print and online publications. He hasn't had a good night's sleep in years. He is hoping to get one soon, though.

 

Melt

 

Humans have been playing a flaming piano

with enamel and obsidian keys afire and melting

into a pile of puddles.

 

Black and white viscous droplets forming

minuscule ponds of segregated colors

strewn across the lackluster basement floor.

 

It is the accumulation of human history.

Been going on since the long-fabled mutation.

 

Even when Blessed with thumbs these vociferous monkeys

cannot seem to conquer the inherent savagery within.

 

From Monolith to Mycelium  

 

Golden abacus moving 

spiraling slices of gravity;

cuneiform baby jars of Neqadah— 

the star inside the circle:

phyllotaxis—

such a fascinating

“tendency”—

a wonderful architect 

of whirring pinecones.

 

 

The Truth About Humans 

 

This is not a poem.

It’s a message.

A savage burst of Truth 

containing a chaosing new

and proper pronouncement

about the human race 

and the disgusting color 

of its bruised sentience 

when the predetermined niches 

of societal nesting it has contorted and comforted 

itself within so as to conform and slip

into the socially acceptable insanities 

that keep it cozily fat and happy—

only in these structures are humans 

capable of being "good.” 

 

Once those structures 

are burnt to the ground

they will show their True colors—

hues so grotesque words to accurately describe them do not exist.

 

I myself fully admit to being duped into thinking 

humans were inherently good inside.

It took 4 months of houselessness 

and endless grift to see the vile hue 

that lives deeply within these human beings.

---

Western Voices 2021 :: Setu, February 2021

Author of the Month: Heath Brougher

Heath Brougher

Inches Away from Infinite Glory

I am a 1000-petaled Lotus away
from being crowned more than human—
even with the venomous characters who currently 
populate my life only for the sad sadistic purposes 
of pummeling my fortitude into the dirt 
for months on end—in Truth, it is them 
I feel sorry for—they are only sabotaging themselves 
and are not even aware of it. 
I can be starved, made homeless, fall upon a string of black days 
in a mad season during which I am attacked 
by grift or jibe or negative command and still my pursuit 
to create positivity 
stands stronger 
than the steel that doubtlessly runs through my veins. 
My resolve is too strong.
All of their obstacles designed to pull me down 
have become but a mere inconvenience.
I have been pushed and shoved by cowards
for so long 
it is a foregone conclusion 
the next pitch 
will yield a grand slam!
***

Photographs of Laughter
 
Remember to always keep some space  
open in your heart and mind  
for the presence of the unimaginable. 
 
Do not choose to look at the light. 
Choose to be the light. 
Choose to illuminate. 
 
Choose the good stuff. 
Trust that your wildest dreams 
will all come True. 
 
For you know the extent to which you  
ar(t)e determined.  
 
Glow. 
 
Believe in your journey. 
Cultivate your Self— 
create only with Truth. 
 
Be an artist and paint your own treasure.  
Know that the impossible  
is usually the untried.  
 
Fall down 10 times 
and stand up 11.  
 
 
Know that the only timelessly beautiful creations 
are usually seen by the herd as imperfections.  
So, pay no mind to the herd. 
Live with a strong resolve not to look into their insane and poisonous mirrors.  
 
Shine like the manifestation of the Multidimensional Multiverse that you are.  
 
Believe in your Self or else be doomed  
to live your life as a ghost. 
 
Rise. 
Roar. 
Yawp! 
 
Become so True that others begin 
to question your sanity—though fear them not. 
Your Truth will cause them to bloom anger— 
an anger they will misdirect toward you  
due to their own failures and realizations  
that they have lived their lives as slaves. 
Besides, why give them a millisecond of your time 
when you are kissing the most beautiful girl in the world, Epiphany herself!
***

Yesterday’s Epiphany
 
Until yesterday the origins  
of human awareness,  
human essence itself, 
were seen, at best,  
through a thick, 
fog-ridden peachfuzz.  
 
As of a couple hours ago,  
the stealthy scissors of science 
have cut eyeholes through the blear 
and a new shade of light has birthed 
itself upon this Sentient planet.  
***

Of Human, Of Hologram

As the human race plunged headfirst 
into a deep and permanent insanity,
I knew I had to find a new way of life.
Between the mice and mannequins 
I chose the rodents because they
were the texture of Earthly DNA,
unlike the machines that flashed
a pearly white smile and shook our hands before eventually 
biting out our brains with pernicious 
fangs and tearing us limb from limb 
until we were perfectly shaped legless, headless, armless torsos.
The lyrics of language have long since vanished,
replaced with the verbiage of robotic voice tones 
in these dead-end days. Ever since the treasonous machinations 
began their onslaught upon the unsuspecting masses, every victim of which
had already been fully prepped/strung out…tricked
by the poisonous pixels that had 
spent decades courting them in order
to earn the chance to become trusted/loved...needed.  
***

Big Blood Moon 
 
A fluorescent blood moon crooks, curls
in my western sphere. 
 
A crimson eve to die upon a spire of blue dawn.
 
Every shade of red agleam in a cornucopia 
of the myriad millennia of Multiversal magnificence.
 
A child yet to fathom human-made restraints 
sticks his tongue out at the holy moon, 
attempting to lick the giant ruby marble in the sky. 
***

---

Setu, November 2020

Heath Brougher (Western Voices 2020)

Exclusive: Western Voices, 2020: Edited by Scott Thomas Outlar

Bio: Heath Brougher is the Editor-in-Chief of Concrete Mist Press as well as poetry editor for Into the Void, winner of the 2017 and 2018 Saboteur Awards for Best Magazine. He is the winner of Taj Mahal Review's 2018 Poet of the Year Award as well as a multiple nominee for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net Award. He has published nine collections of poetry, the most recent of which is Bleeding Backwards (Diaphanous Press, 2019).

To Ripen 

Human sensory organs

stretched out

on the furniture

atop pacifist

planks of porch

on a newly born

Spring’s gloaming

among the tulip hats

preciously purple.

A rising custard pie.

Endorphin enclaves slowly

bringing on that taste so ripe

to those already basking in the uplifting

seasonal fragrance and fragments

still far from fully-blown.

At least that’s what the Robin Red Breast

and tiny fluorescent leaflets had to say

about the beginning of the next beginning.

Filthy Creatures 

I would harm a fly

but only by accident.

There is enough apathy

within these mired and trumped walls 

to wipe out a nation of magnanimous spirits.

Stepping among the filthy, cracked

sidewalk as golden bricks

are shoveled into a white house.

The fly in the ointment keeps blaming

the other fly in the ointment. 

I, the pacifist, finally decide

to lay down in the middle of this land

and die from the unrestricted greed

and noxious air which has enveloped

the entirety of this Human Experience.

Moronic Mirrorism

The moronic mistakes 

of mirrors have led

people into a realm of abstract contortions

of their perception of reality 

that are infected distortions,

in fact, the exact opposite 

of the Truth since mirrors 

are the epitome of liars.

They show the exact opposite of you.

They show you in reverse. 

With these omnipresent 

piles of stones replacing brains,

the wind and clouds

remember the sound of tulips blooming.

Setu, April 2020

Western Voices: Heath Brougher,

Bio:

Heath Brougher is the poetry editor of Into the Void, winner of the 2017 and 2018 Saboteur Award for Best Magazine. He is a multiple Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net Award Nominee. He won the The Taj Mahal Review’s 2018 Poet of the Year Award and his work has been translated into several languages other than English. His newest books are To Burn in Torturous Algorithms (Weasel Press, 2018) and The Ethnosphere's Duality (Cyberwit.Net, 2018).

Bubble Gum Freedom

Freedom is now Freedown, Freedrown—

a fabrication; an illusion

made by the herd’s slave owner

to keep the masses caged

while they pour Free Dumb

straight down the throats of the many

by means of rampant propaganda

all arriving by air, land, sea

to converge upon the mind in an almost infinite confusion—

the television and internet are the main funnels of misinformation

in this land of illusion within illusion within illusion within illusion.

Be Like the Creek Water

You will get nowhere standing

in the silly Manmade circles

which unfortunately encompass

most people’s lives.

You must live like the creek nearby

your living room with its worn-out recliner—

the same water never running through

the same area in its eternal flowing—

the same water never rippling

the same way it did during its previous ripple.

Don’t be insan(m)e.

For the loops you live within

usually come with their own cubicle

and a line drawn in the land

to demarcate what is yours

and what is theirs

as you’ve become a tool

for the Controllers of this feudal era.

It is a lie and it persists 

because you let it persist.

You were taught to let it persist.

Be like the creek water, never flowing

the same. For that creek water

is the cousin of The Great Spiral.

The reigning tedium can be quit by tapping into this mindset.

Roost

Above roots, a chloroplast pulse

eaten away. Tomato skin 

blanket of lifelong numbness, 

smiled at by callous

wilted teeth scraped and 

sprung red

in the crevices. Cells maintain anonymous

existence in the field.

Picking of life bulbs needless 

when the appetite

and parasitic throe of being 

served as a leafy appetizer 

when the meat-eaters finally arrive.

---

Western Voices :: Setu, February 2019 

Interview: Scott Thomas Outlar

Scott Thomas Outlar interviewed by Heath Brougher

---

Scott Thomas Outlar hosts the site 17Numa.wordpress.com where links to his published poetry, fiction, essays, interviews, and reviews can be found. He also serves as an editor for The Peregrine Muse. His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net, and has appeared in over 270 venues in the United States and internationally. Scott has been a weekly contributor at the Dissident Voice Sunday Poetry Page for the past three years. His poetry has been translated into Albanian, Afrikaans, Persian, and Italian. His most recent books include: Songs of a Dissident (Transcendent Zero Press, 2015); Chaos Songs (Weasel Press, 2016); Happy Hour Hallelujah (CTU Publishing, 2016); and Poison in Paradise (Alien Buddha Press, 2017).

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Heath Brougher: First of all, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. I know you are beyond busy these days. You recently published a new full length book of poetry Poison in Paradise with Alien Buddha Press. Could you tell us a little about the book and its various themes?

Scott Thomas Outlar: Thank you, Heath, for the opportunity to discuss my work here in Setu Magazine.

Scott Thomas Outlar

Poison in Paradise is essentially my attempt to take a fresh stab at the tried and true tale about falling from grace before ultimately rising again on a wave of spiritual absolution. To wit: taking the hit of worldly temptations, getting knocked to the ground, and standing back up to shake off the inherent suffering of life.

Allusions to the garden of Eden are entwined throughout the poems in the first section of the book, along with material dealing with the angst and agony of this mortal experience. Part two seeks to raise its hands toward the sun so as to embrace the full force of God’s infinite light. The underlying message of the book is that by going inward into one’s own psyche to confront the shadow aspects of consciousness, there is a sense of abiding peace that can be obtained to help alleviate the sorrows of existence.

HB: You wear many hats. You are a poet, editor, book reviewer, essayist, columnist, international reader, and the host of the site 17Numa. Could you enlighten us (in a nutshell) just what can be found at 17Numa? 

STO: 17Numa was originally conceived as a website that could serve as a central hub for my work. In that vein, there are links available to all of my published poetry, fiction, essays, interviews, reviews, live performances, and books. I do my best to keep these pages updated regularly, while also writing new posts about what might be going on in my life at any given time.

The site has expanded over the years to now include resource pages as well, one of which has links to hundreds of literary magazines, journals, blogs, indie zines, newspapers, broadsides, and other various venues for anyone who might be seeking new publications where their work can be submitted. I also host a series called Showcase Spotlight that features interviews with other contemporary writers and artists.

HB: You are one of the most prolific submitters in the entire literary world. How are you able to maintain this seemingly impossible task while juggling so many other responsibilities?

STO: An addictive personality! Well, I suppose that’s one of the keys to maintaining the habitual rhythm of the process. Once being introduced to the initial taste of what publishing could offer, I wanted to devour the entire feast. Turns out, the smorgasbord is seemingly never-ending. There are so many different niches of poetry venues offering possible publication due to the growing popularity of art on the internet these days. One lead inevitably branches off in an exponential number of directions. Rabbit holes abound!

In truth, though, I don’t necessarily send out as much material now as I did during the first couple of years. I’ve directed my focus (or tried to) on books, live events, and interviews more in recent months. There are still several respected journals that I consistently contribute to on a regular basis, and I’m always mindful to continue seeking new connections wherever possible.

Thankfully, after having experienced burnout on a few occasions, I’ve now achieved a nice balance in the method to how I approach the overall process.

HB: You are a weekly contributor to the amazing site Dissident Voice. Do you think this has helped you to continue to write so prolifically, knowing that you must have a really good poem to publish every week?

STO: Dissident Voice plays a pivotal role in that balance I just mentioned. I’ve now been a weekly contributor to the Sunday Poetry Page for the past 3 ½ years. Angie Tibbs was the first editor to publish one of my poems back in the spring of 2014, and ever since that time I’ve tried to approach the effort in a professional, timely manner. I will be forever grateful to her for allowing me the opportunity to appear regularly at this social justice site, and it does provide me with a specific target at which to regularly aim. I want to respect the venue by making sure to send the best quality poem I’m capable of each week. Hopefully, I succeed more often than not in this endeavor.

HB: You recently started a really fantastic YouTube channel. Can you tell us how that came about and what kind of videos can be found there?

STO: The YouTube channel was an idea that had been on the backburner for quite some time before I finally launched it a few months ago. I wanted to gain more confidence as a public speaker before putting my voice out there in such a vulnerable position. It began with videos recorded during my readings and performances at poetry events. Lately, however, I’ve expanded the concept to include other aspects of my life. I enjoy walking to the park nearly every day where I do a lot of my writing. Now I’ll take a camera along with me occasionally so that I can rant, rave, and ramble about art, spirituality, health, nutrition, and any other topics that might pop into my head at any given moment. My intention is to start featuring the work of other poets more often. Eventually, I believe that an interview podcast will emerge from this format.

HB: I know you have experienced some tragic things in your life, even recently, though you remain a person brimming with positivity and inner-peace. Could you please tell us how you've been able to overcome these things and still see the sunny side of the world? 

STO: My perception and outlook on life is heavily influenced by the seeds that were planted during my early twenties when I studied the teachings of Christ, Buddha, and Lao Tzu. To be clear, such deep wisdom did not sprout in my consciousness right away. I dealt with my fair share of suffering and depression before beginning to see more clearly. The next step in my development arrived shortly before my 30^th birthday when I began learning about living foods and the highest levels of nutrition. Detoxifying my body, mind, heart, and soul proved to be the true turning point that helped me attain an abiding state of inner peace. Knock on wood!

The most pivotal moment in my life so far was watching my father pass away from cancer in early 2014. After experiencing this loss of the most important person in my life, I realized that there was nothing else that could hurt me emotionally. Since that time, I have done my best to live without fear and to shine positive energy into the world. Having a strong circle of family, friends, and readers who support my work has pushed me to continue along the path of trying to constantly become the best man I possibly can on all levels.

HB: I know that you've been writing your entire life but didn't begin submitting for publication until three years ago. Do you think being a part of the "lit world" has changed your writing at all?

STO: It’s interesting because I was out with a friend recently and they happened to ask me a question very similar to this. It caught me off guard at the time because I hadn’t ever thought about how my style might have changed in recent years based on the new circumstances. But this time I’m prepared! Fool me once, and all that jazz…

So let me try and lay it all out. No promises on this making much sense though.

I’d been writing for around 15 years before I truly started to seek publication for my work, so the effort at that point was largely conditioned toward being a personalized affair without much feedback from outside sources. This is good in the sense that it provided a type of therapy session as the time was used to develop my individual craft. But until diving fully into the waters of the submission process one’s true worth in the mind of others can never be valued appropriately. The honest truth is that most editors are wonderful to deal with. It’s the writers whose egos must be watched closely! Though it’s a fruitless pursuit trying to keep some of them in check. Perhaps this speaks directly to the “lit world” portion of your question? Ha. Oh, well. God bless them all, I say! Let the scales of karma sort it all out in the end. But, back to the point at hand…

Heath Brougher

Once I began to establish a bit of footing on solid foundation as a published writer, the feedback from readers started rolling in. There are positive and negative aspects to all situations in life, including commentary from outside voices. We must have balance! And another margarita. Bartender! I am in dire need of assistance with the framing of this answer, as I seem to be careening off topic. Your liquid salve would prove to be a sweet asset in this regard.

The crux of the core at the center of the solution we’re seeking here boils down to this: Yes. I have changed since this journey began. When I’m writing a particular piece now, I instinctively have a much better feel for which type of audience it might appeal to the most. I have a sense of who certain pieces might annoy, also. In this way, I am able to troll the trolls. Lord, what a blessed feeling! Is this life not beautiful? But I digress…

I do my best to never alter the natural flow of my words to suit one style or another with expectations of approval from friends or hisses from haters. “Wouldn’t be prudent at this juncture,” as Mr. Carvey imitating Mr. Bush used to opine on SNL. Maybe at a later date I’ll completely sell out and start penning whatever I’m told will sell like hot cakes. Erotic vampire thriller, anyone? But for right now I still sort of dig the ability to just release the essence of my spirit onto paper and then allow the reaction to materialize organically. Thus appears answers such as these that certain circles might find uncouth. Let them burn.

HB: You have yet another book forthcoming from Alien Buddha Press titled Abstract Visions of Light. Can you give us a glimpse into what we can expect as far as some of the themes and ideas within this forthcoming book?

STO: Neon blue and pink sacred geometric mandala patterns of pure crystallized energy shifting and swirling as frequencies of light against the backdrop of a plain white wall – this is the basic vision that serves as the basis for the book’s title and theme. I will not delve too deeply into the sordid details of what brought about such an idea. Suffice it to say, that particular night many moons ago was one of ecstatic creative jubilation. I’m not exactly sure how the concept of the vision is going to be translated into actual poetic content, but I promise to do my level best in this regard.

I intend for the themes to generally run along the lines of spirituality, psychology, philosophy, nature, and the romantic notion (if not a bit naïve) that a renaissance of art and culture is on the brink of sweeping across the societies of this world. In fact, I firmly believe that such a course is already well underway. I am, indeed, an eternal optimist at heart.

HB: You've now done two books with Alien Buddha Press, which publishes the artwork of Red Focks along with your poetry. This obviously enhances the book. Could you tell us what it means to you to have these amazing images available to choose from and include in your book?

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions. I know how busy you are and very much appreciate it. Keep up the great work!

STO: I could not have asked for a more appropriate painting to grace the cover of Poison in Paradise than the one provided by Red Focks. Similarly, the book definitely benefited from the photography of both Red and Jay Miner. I feel as if we collaborated on a true piece of art all the way around, and I couldn’t be happier with the finished product.

We’re going to give the process another shot with Abstract Visions of Light later this year, though this time the interior imagery will be black and white so that we can offer the collection at a lower price point to readers. I’m looking forward to working with Alien Buddha Press again and sharing this new project with the world.

Thank you for the opportunity to run my mouth a bit, Heath! Selah. 

Setu, October 2017

An Interview With Heath Brougher

by Scott Thomas Outlar

Heath Brougher

Heath Brougher lives in York, PA and attended Temple University. He is the co-poetry editor of Into the Void Magazine which won the 2017 Saboteur Award for Best Magazine. Heath has also received a Best of the Net Nomination as well as edited the anthology Luminous Echoes, the proceeds of which will be donated to Pieta House in Ireland which is an organization that helps prevent suicide/self-harm. Heath has published 4 books: A Curmudgeon is Born, Digging for Fire, Your Noisy Eyes, and About Consciousness. Although he has been writing his entire life, he didn't begin to submit his work for publication until three years ago at the age of thirty-four. Since then his work has appeared in over 450 different journals in 25 countries Heath has also read his work internationally and been a Featured Reader in many U.S. cities. When not writing he helps with the charity Paws Soup Kitchen which gives out free dog/cat food to low income families with pets.

Scott Thomas Outlar: Your latest book, About Consciousness, was recently published by Alien Buddha Press. Can you tell us what inspired this collection?

Heath Brougher: I have spoken about Consciousness in my three previous books, so a collection such as this was kind of inevitable. Also, since my other books had titles that were a bit vague, I thought I'd just be really blunt and title this one "About Consciousness." I also just liked the ring of that title. It's inspired by what most of my writing is inspired by: a philosophical interest in the world/Universe/Multiverse and especially the other possible stages of Sentience which could simultaneously exist in our current state of Consciousness, as well as an eternal curiosity of what the next stage of Sentience could possibly be.

STO: What other books of yours are currently available?

HB: My debut chapbook A Curmudgeon is Born was published in June of 2016 by Yellow Chair Press, my second and third books, Digging for Fire and Your Noisy Eyes were both published by Stay Weird and Keep Writing Press, and  my fourth book, About Consciousness was published by Alien Buddha Press

STO: Much of your work focuses on the individual’s search for truth in this world. Has this intense pursuit always played a pivotal role in your life?

HB: I think so. I've always kind of been the quiet outsider and since I had no herd to follow I was allowed to explore my own Individuality much more than most people, whom are usually enveloped by what I call "the Mainstream Thought" and end up living out their lives as mindless robotic slaves to these insane Manmade Realities which pollute our societies. So, in that sense, I think I'm much more "Individualized" than most people. This, of course, also means that I am much more misunderstood by most people.

STO: Why do you write poetry? Has your perception of the art changed any since you began publishing?

HB: I've always written. I've got the twenty years-worth of notebooks to prove it. My perception of it has, of course, changed as I've gotten older, though there has been a seismic shift in the way I view poetry since I began publishing. Now that I've seen the rampant corruption and cronyism of the lit world I feel like I need to level the playing field as best I can to make sure the voices that should be getting heard are getting a fair chance. I still hang onto the belief that I must never allow myself to become pigeonholed. I don't necessarily believe in "finding my voice" like most poets say you have to do. I care much more about finding the Truth and then projecting that out into the world in whatever particular style or way of writing it happens to come out of me through.

STO: You don’t only publish, but are also quite active in performing at live events. What have been some of your more memorable readings so far?

HB: Well, I began doing readings after my first chapbook was published in order to help the press with sales and found a local scene in York and surrounding areas where I met some amazing people like Carla Christopher and Nancy Yeager. I've done a couple readings in England and several other U.S. cities. I did one recently for Josh Dale's Forty West Publishing that was special because I was able to finally meet him and, of course, YOU. Lol. I recently saw Heller Levinson read in NYC which was a Truly mind-blowing experience, and I, personally, didn't read a single word at all during that reading. If people haven't read the works of Heller Levinson, Felino Soriano, Alan Britt, Duane Locke, or Matt Duggan, then they better buck up and get to it because the stuff these poets are currently writing is the work that will ultimately be remembered by history and today's children will be reading in college.

STO: Into the Void won best magazine in the 2017 Saboteur Awards. What is your role at this venue, and where do you see the magazine heading in the future?

HB: I am the co-poetry editor at Into the Void and so very proud to be one of the four editors of this amazing magazine put together by the brilliant Phillip Elliott, who is only 24 years old and I believe to be one of the brightest burning up-and-coming stars in the lit world. The fact that we won this award after only four issues is a testament to reading blind. That's something I feel very strongly about and I believe all magazines should be doing. Instead, you have your usual cronyism and corruption running amok in the lit world. I think Into the Void has the potential to become as important of a magazine as it wants. We've been listed in Poets & Writers Magazine as one of the "nine new journals of 2016 which you MUST read" so I think the sky is the limit with Into the Void Magazine and I can't wait to see how far we take it.

STO: Do you have any other projects at the moment that you’re particularly excited about?

HB: As I usually say, I was 20 years late to the party since I didn't begin submitting my life's work for publication until I was thirty-four years old (three years ago). I've already written 60 books (and counting since I keep finding new ones in the 20 years-worth of duffel bags filled with notebooks) that all just need typed up and edited, not to mention the uncountable number of notebooks filled with writing. What I'm most excited about, though, is that I recently submitted my first book of what I call Spiralism to a certain press I really like and am waiting to hear back from. This is a unique style of writing that I've been developing as far back as age seventeen. This first book of Spiralism is the mot important book I have yet to put together. So, that's what I'm mostly excited about concerning my own work. If this book is rejected, then I will be spending my days looking for other quality presses with the guts to try something new and publish it.

STO: What expectations do you have for your work during the rest of 2017 and into the years ahead?

HB: As I said, hopefully getting my first book of Spiralism published. That's my number one priority right now. Also, continuing to try new things and of course to keep Spiraling Out! Thank you for the interview, my friend. Selah!


Heath Brougher has published four books and his work has appeared in over 450 journals in 25 countries. Here are my thoughts on his books:

I had this to say about his debut, A Curmudgeon is Born, when I reviewed it:
This world is not what it seems. This universe is not what we thought. Heath Brougher asks/demands that humanity stop lying to itself about the nature of time and space. To break away from the shackles of eternally looping cycles, Brougher suggests aligning with the rhythms of an evolving spiral...so as to tap into the only essence of reality that matters in the end: Truth. Brougher's intensely deep debut collection is a dance through consciousness, language, music, and perception. Keep both eyes open. Keep all minds open. "A Curmudgeon Is Born" is a blast into the future.


His second book was a limited edition printing titled Digging for Fire and was actually a short 15-page precursor to his third book Your Noisy Eyes, both published by Stay Weird and Keep Writing Press. Your Noisy Eyes has a much more metaphysical approach to it than his debut. There are two running themes within the book, both on the philosophical side. One of the metaphysical themes is that there is a bomb buried deep within the Earth and a wick which has run in coils throughout human history, every day inching closer to the bomb itself, which humanity needs to find and extinguish before detonation. There is a sense of urgency to find the wick and smother it or else face absolute destruction. The bomb is symbolic of nonexistence and Brougher throws many questions at what this state just might be like. The other theme is less pronounced and concerns the eye as humanity's primary means of perception and survival. He ponders and throws questions galore upon this idea as well. He wonders just how much truth there is in what we see with our own eyes and whether or not we can actually trust what we see. His main concern, though, is not wanting to experience "an entire lifetime spent walking in the wrong direction."

His fourth,book, About Consciousness, was recently released from Alien Buddha Press and contains some very thought provoking poems alongside some amazing artwork by Red Focks. The very first poem of this book is concerned with God and just how "Inhumane" it seems to be. Heath then begins to give the reasons why he considers himself a Pantheist in the following poems. This book is poetry blended with philosophy dealing with consciousness itself as well as the various states of it which it can be experienced.


Scott Thomas Outlar hosts the site 17Numa.wordpress.com where links to his published poetry, fiction, essays, interviews, reviews, and books can be found. His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Scott serves as an editor for The Peregrine Muse and Novelmasters.

Heath Brougher's book are available on Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_14?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=heath+brougher&sprefix=Heath+Brougher%2Caps%2C152&crid=EGVB03Q32CNC 

A Curmudgeon is Born (Yellow Chair Press) https://www.createspace.com/6281424

Digging for Fire (Stay Weird and Keep Writing Press) https://stayweirdandkeepwriting.wordpress.com/2016/10/23/heath-broughers-chapbook/comment-page-1/#comment-22
   
Your Noisy Eyes (Stay Weird and Keep Writing Press) https://stayweirdandkeepwriting.wordpress.com/2016/10/23/heath-broughers-chapbook/comment-page-1/#comment-22
   
About Consciousness (Alien Buddha Press) https://alienbuddhapress.com/titles

All of these books can be found at:    https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Heath+Brougher.

Setu, September 2017

Poetry: Heath Brougher

Heath Brougher

Vocabulary Adjustment

The Greek word
for “Victory”
is Nike
but over
the years
the decades
the centuries
the millennia
it has
slowly become
the new
English word
for “Slavery.”

Evolution of the Word “Cartoon” 

Up until recently
the word
“cartoon”
did not
carry with it
such a heavy overtone
of seriousness.

It was previously
a word
which evoked
a sense
of lightness,
of fluffiness,
of childishness,
of silliness,
of nonsense.

Well, I guess
it still conjures
an aura
of nonsense,
just in a much more
bloodstained context
than before.

A Long Way to Go 

You tested positive
in every category
for which you were supposed
to test negative. Your blood
and urine both agree with this.
There’s no two ways about it.

We must continue this search
especially now that we know
just how far away we are
from the Truth.

Setu, September 2017