When Nothing Works
Put head in hands, look down
Lose hope.
Remember when the universe gave you a sign when you asked for it
You sat on the beach and looked at where the blue sky met the blue ocean and waited
There were no ships on the horizon or faces in the clouds
And the wind blew no wise voice to your ears
You put your head in your hands, looked down
Lost hope.
Lights shone in the sand at your feet
There was fire in the rocks you sat on and electricity in the water
Sparks ignited the air
And you thought, in a voice of your own
There is light in everything
No matter what anyone else says
Because I can see it.
Give Me Hope, You Bastard
Or strike me dead
I’m thirsting for it
My heart is aching
My stomach is twisted
Fuck being dry or smart I’m hurting
And I don’t know what to do
It’s hard to have
What you can’t give
Make a life outta giving hope
And what’s left
When it’s just you who is empty
Lost and alone
If it was all just chemicals
And drugs and money and freedom
Were the answers
I’d never be happy again
Sated and not lost
Because there was never a place
To be found
Where are those flashes
Of smiles and drinks and firelight
Where is that sinking sensation of peace
The spiteful humour of resolve
The coughing laughter of a drowning man
I need it now
While this poem is bad
And going nowhere
While I’m failing and cursing
This is my fight
And there is my hope
To make this end of myself
A long and bitter campaign
To grow old a warrior
And maybe all you can do
With your despair
Is to throw it back
At the wall in front of you
Then here it is
A cry to the light at the end of the tunnel
Grasp me
Hold me
Pull me close
And let me take
Anyone I can
With me
Tightrope
Taught and over-responsive
Dizzying, the fall
And so long
This rope before me
I can’t walk it all
Add a unicycle
Some juggling
A hefty dose of
What the fuck
Kiss my head
Push me forward
And most of all
Wish me luck
Author: Samuel Maguire is a Brisbane author and professional bipolar-haver. His debut novel No Point in Stopping was published in 2018, and he has had work published in Stilts Journal, Scum Magazine and currently works as an editor for Tiny Owl Publishing. You can find more of his fiction, poetry and brain-wrongs on his blog.
Artist: SaBelle Pobjoy-Sherriff is a third year visual arts student minoring in film. Her art practice has an in depth focus on ideas of narrative and mythology, and tends to border on the obscure. She utilises illustration and sculpture to create vibrant worlds and creatures. You can find more on her Instagram @SaBelleeee.