The Lord of Small Gods

The Lord of Small Gods

You said I had an angel
who hung about my shoulders
and tries to make me a saint.


I could not find one about you.

Even though I thought I could
if only I looked at you and then them
from the corners of my eye.


I Still could not find one on the edge of your frame.

But then I saw it
from the base of your saucer
the tea cup rested on the plate.


I saw it- it entered and disappeared so quick.

Like a small ant crawling towards you
and gone in a blink,
Lord of the Small Gods is what you are I think.

-Matthew Koutzun

And That's Another Matter

And That's Another Matter

Safe and sounds
Fresh off the mounds
Soft and touch
Yet not too much

From not enoughs
To being to tough
Till endings come
Enough not from

Fill from begin

-Matthew Koutzun

I Envy the Singer

I Envy the Singer

I envy the singer
more than anyone else.
Voice born from a chest
with nothing more than air.

I'm jealous of their gift
of letting out
that burn, that rush,
from wanting to be heard.

It comes on the street to me:
a pressure,
in my lungs
freed in a scream- a song.

But I sound terrible
you wouldn't want to hear me;
there may be pressure
but surely not beauty.

So envy the singer.
Beauty in chest.
Sing on unhindered-
know that you're heard.

-Matthew Koutzun

Came Calling

Came Calling

The Devil called
and I came a calling
gliding
sailing
into sin so sweet.

And retribution comes
and it came to me
fierce
furious
and packaged as love.

-Matthew Koutzun

Under my Nails

Under my Nails

In the morning I'm in my own bed again.
It was warm and full of heavy heat
of nightmares and thoughts and disturbed sleep.
And I wake up and am languid for about an hour
till I bring my hand to my face again,
nails in my mouth and stench caught to my senses.

It can't be me and it isn't.

I smell the rest of my hands and it's no where but the nails.
I dig my teeth in under and scrape the loose flesh
and the deposits from underneath.
I spit them out and want to brush my teeth-
I know the damage has been done,
but I go to the mirror anyways.

It can't be me but it was.

-Matthew Koutzun