Tag / Desire

by Colette

Man’s Crisis

Written by Lost in a Dream

It was easy to become lost in a big city. Some days even he felt lost. It seemed that London’s perpetual grey sky and the constant buzz of noise was trying to dull his shine and muffle his wise words. A weak part of him wished he was not so important, then he could dissolve into the background like the lazy crowd around him.

He caught a glimpse of his reflection in train doors before they opened, the weak thought instantly dismissed. Damn, he looked good. His new glasses drew attention to his eyes. He had always known that his eyes were his best feature. He had posted a selfie of his new look on Instagram last night and everyone agreed too. 576 hearts and 215 complimentary comments. Slightly less interaction than Tuesday’s workout picture, but more than the picture of his new vintage watch. But that didn’t faze him too much. He was something of a watch connoisseur, he doubted that many of his followers fully appreciated the value of his new time piece.

He boarded the train and sat down next to a plainly dressed woman. He clunked his briefcase with purpose on the table in front of them. He was sure he could see her admiring him out the corner of his eye.

The woman had her make up bag on her lap and a compact mirror propped up in front of her. With haste she was applying concealer to a trail of fading acne along her jawline. He found it disgusting. Surely, if she ate well and worked out like he did, she wouldn’t have that mess all over her face. As he pulled out his laptop, he shuffled his wrist subtly so that the woman could see the light from the window bounce off his watch and cufflinks. A swift gesture to let her know she was out of his league.

He mused to himself as his laptop powered up. There was something ironic in the way that, by trying to conceal her blemishes, she actually drew attention to them. He smiled to himself, his intelligence and insightful nature surprised him at times. He would include this episode in his autobiography.

He opened up LinkedIn. Another publishing house wanted to help him publish is autobiography. He enjoyed LinkedIn, it gave him a chance to show his academic and professional prowess. He liked the way it stacked up qualifications in a quantitative manner, made it easy to compare.

He was looking forward to the autobiography. He wanted to give depth to himself as a businessman. Material wealth and good looks alone did not do his greatness justice. He was truly extraordinary.

Lost in a Dream’s short piece was written on behalf of March’s Half Hour Challenge theme, Reflection, inspired by her daily commutes in London. Given the main character’s vanity and materialistic nature, we thought it fitted in nicely with April’s theme and is a great closing piece to the month. While we should always take time out to love ourselves, make sure arrogance isn’t part of the deal. If you enjoyed Lost in a Dream’s work, check out some of her other pieces too, such as “Procrastination” and “Star Talk ii“.  

Featured Image CC // Otis Blank

by Colette

Consummate

Written by Magnificent Mayhem

It is a cannibalistic carnival of carnal delights,
flesh consumed by flesh until there is nothing left,
of you or I, or the space in between. Disregard the screams.
To stop would be to deny the sweetest taste of taboo you or I have known.

It is painful pleasure to wait
as teeth graze the skin wrapped tight,
each morsel a reminder that we are free
only here, where you are most vulnerable
and I am ravenous.

This forbidden feast that you and I indulge,
the cavernous need it satiates: to devour:
voracity is truth; base instinct undeniable
a return to purest connection.

We can be no closer, you and I, than this
attempt to quench carnivorous desire.
With no conventions here to bind appetites,
I will leisurely explore every delicious secret you contain
while you luxuriate excruciatingly in each determined bite I take.

Submitted on behalf of the Fiction Frenzy’s summer theme last year, Magnificent Mayhem’s poetry is a celebration of our basic instincts for desire. It’s both seductive in language as well as its carnal pleasures, gripping us with such an intimacy we dare not let go. Consummate doesn’t just leave romance hanging in the air, but the sticky scent of nature. If you enjoyed Magnificent Mayhem’s poem, why not check out some more of her work including, “Rabid” and “I & You“.  

Featured Image CC // Stuart Conner

by Colette

I & You

somewhere_in_time

Somewhere In Time. Their desire for each other leads to their demise. A haunting of memories never to be renewed.
Image: Somewhere In Time film still

Written by Magnificent Mayhem

[I]

Nostalgia is a poison

Sipped from every day,

These sickly sweet memories

Eating me alive;

Chewing holes in the reality

Of what is now.

[You]

I want to call you by your name

To claim you as my own,

If only for the little while

I can stretch out those letters

To keep you on my lips.

Magnificent Mayhem’s two short poems are coupled together to show the distinct differences between two voices. The first sharing anguish and distaste for the past and a longing to break free of such memories, while the second bears a voice dripping in desire, with a hope to keeping the memory alive to satiate those feelings. Originally Magnificent Mayhem considered naming the two pieces “Me and You”, but this created a united relationship between the two, rather than an intrinsic distance. If you enjoyed “I & You”, make sure you check out “Residue” – a wonderful poem juxtaposing the fragility of a doll to the shifting of power within society.