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Observations on the Cynic

Todd Clouser

semiahmoo door / credit: de
semiahmoo door / credit: de

Cut up by it, imagination
Strangled by stripes of shame
Painted poorly but purposefully by the kind of artist
whose arrows are shot before they are aimed
It burnt the blood from our dreams
Smoke rings in the distant scatter lit city night, flashing dollars at us,
so we can give them ours
They’ve got fear to be proud of
Deadly bullet talk, dead like bullets, shook from color
From phonograph to photograph, sound to number, nothing to take serious

Gave us pornography, pictures, moving pixels
of tongues in vaginas telling love lies
Rose hands slumping over shoulders
And I’m told this is what we want
I felt once how lips rub,
monotony of daybreak

But Today The bells call the dollar to wake and spit its pregnant words,
bearing no shame in its womb, like an animal dumber than itself
Laughing at each other, behind each other
Making judgements upon things we cannot know
Because it hurts
To be so shamefully shattered
And we are confusing
Whether the dream, or the fear of it, breaks us

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Todd Clouser

A young, genre-defying guitarist, composer, and writer, Todd Clouser is an accomplished musician across the creative music spectrum, leading a unique path to recognition as an act to watch, finding his own voice performing with musicians from Keb Mo to "downtown" NYC jazz legend Steven Bernstein. Clouser's impassioned performances run from piano balladry to dense jazz and groove, exciting audiences with an approach meant to bend the rules of artistic labeling. "A Love Electric" documents Todd's most aggressive ensemble yet, an energetic group based in the stylings of 70's era electric musics. The February 2013 release of The Naked Beat, Clouser's third album of the year, marks the first record to feature his wildly engaging vocals. Think Zappa meets Burroughs with the songwriting sensibilities of Beck and Hendrixian guitar heroics. Clouser is an original, always evolving, and always honest to the spirit of the imagination. In addition to Todd's website, you can find him on Twitter and YouTube.

Author: Todd Clouser Tags: poetry, Todd Clouser Category: Poetry May 15, 2013

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Empty Mirror

Established in 2000 and edited by Denise Enck, Empty Mirror is an online literary magazine that publishes new work each Friday.

Each week EM features several poems each by one or two poets; reviews; critical essays; visual art; and personal essays.

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