POETRYFrom the Mouth of GodEthan Sturm
from the mouth of god
(a poem constructed entirely from kanye west quotes)
it’s not about me. it’s about ideas. new ideas.
if i can remove my ego, i will be
the loudest voice. we’re all self-conscious
but people are so scared to lose they don’t even try.
this dark diction has become America’s addiction.
to live and breath every element of life, that’s
what i’m here for. to be
god’s vessel. to be a machine. i’m a
robot. i’m like a tree. i feed the branches
of the people.
sometimes i get emotional over fonts. the vices
in my head told me to. listen,
comparing yourself to someone who has done
so much, that’s a mentality
that suppresses humanity.
listen to the kids bro—art
ain’t always gonna be polite.
Ethan Sturm is a poet, spoken word artist who has showcased his work across multiple continents. A Knoxville, Tennessee native, Sturm spent time studying poetry at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop before moving to Italy last year. His writing can be described as a mixture of honest self expression and witty romanticism.
spider up her thigh in the dimly lit room
held down, stared down
embers of the abyss snap around her
My father sexually abused me.
When I got married,
I hyphenated my name.
No one questioned it at the time.
But in the middle of my parents’ late divorce,
everyone wants to know about names.
Nietzsche warned us not to look
long into the abyss, or it will look long
into us.
It was finally
his home until
abruptly
his mind flashed
all the times he had entered a
boy
i was depressed,
and i wanted
to take a
walk;
you said you'd join me—
didn't mean i wanted
netflix and chill,
it happened before words came
to tell me how to feel about it
newly connected neurons torn apart
or perverted—
forever firing blanks into the microbiological air
As a child
The lessons taught
Can bring a pain never thought.
The lessons on trust
And heartache
Sear the soul.