Introduction
Reviews
Poetry
Closing Words
Welcome to the August issue of the zine.
Its been a good month, so far. I went to a small press expo over
the first weekend of the month. It was quite interesting to see what's
out there. I guess you could say that zines fall into one of three
catagories; music, comix or literature. The last can include
short stories or poetry. The expo was in the basement of a church,
there was a small crowd and I met some interesting zinesters. I still
believe this means of communication is so important. The information
age is being controlled by those with the money. They determine which
voice is heard and which is ignored. So, the alternative media is
the one which allows the voice and opinion of others to be expressed.
All we need is access to either a computer or a photocopier and our voice
is out there. People will read what you have to say. If you
are interested in finding out about zines, go to the magazine: Broken
Pencil Magazine , it features articles and reviews
about zines, music and all aspects of alternative culture. I recommend
the magazine to you if you are interested in learning about zines in Canada.
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This month's review is the
book Double Murder in my twin life. Its not quite a mystery.
Rather it deals with a Engish professor at a university in Toronto.
He is our narrator. He lives in two worlds; the university
and the world of post-communist eastern Europe. He and his wife fled
Czechoslovakia following the crushing of the "velvet revolution" of 1968.
While one would have thought the collapse of the eastern bloc would make
life better, something horrible from the past comes to light. His
wife's name appears in a list of 'agents' for the secret service.
This after they win an award from the President of the republic.
Meanwhile, back at the university,
a colleague is found murdered. There are a number of suspects, from
a suspicious wife to a student. Another professor may be implicated,
but the police don't seem to have a suspect. One of the police attends
our narrator's class and questions him at length concerning murder, and
he does the same. From his chair at the college pub, he discusses
who the possible murderer could be.
The narrator and his wife
must return a number of times to Czechoslovakia to defend his wife against
the charge of duplicity. In one way, the charge is correct, she did
write notes about a friend. Her information was more to protect her
friend. However the charge is still, she goes to court to clear her
name and is sucessful.
If the story ended there,
this would be a happy ending. Things go from bad to worse, especially when
news of the inditement reaches the couple's home. They cannot dodge
the accusation. In the end, there is tragedy, which is the second
death of the book.
The narrator is able to give
an idea what happened to the death professor and who may be benefitting
from the death.
It is a moving story, containing
elements of suspense, irony, wit and sadness. I would recommend this
book highly.
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Poetry
submissions
my work
I've had a number of new contributors for this issue. One poem
is a reprint from a web-page. The others are from all over the globe.
These submission have come from both e-mail and the message board.
You can use the latter, just go to the home page and type out your message.
I do thank all of you for your interest in this ezine.
A number of poets have posted their e-mail somewhere on my page,
either a link or the message board, write them and encourage them to express
their spirit through poetry.
float to the light-Zia , The
Game-Travis R. Cole , Open Heart-Zandria , Shouting
People-Kate Pheasant , dream of dreams-Carolyn Barker
Masterpiece of love-Viesta Barker-Morris
Zia gave permission to reprint this poem. Its from her web page.
I have put the link on my homepage. Take the time to read her works.
I float in & out of my life
from day 2 day
going through the motions
stoic to all surrounding
me
Yet when I get a feeling
to let myself free
I float upward to the
sky
all my worries still
on the ground
It is during these times
I find myself enlightened
feeling, caring, seeing
how I affect what surrounds
me
So if you find yourself
lost
in the mess you call
life
let everything go,
the fly toward the sky
(© Copyright 3 or 4-99)
Zia
Our second work is from Travis Cole. Some of his work was featured in our other ezine, Avant Garde Times. His work should be featured in a number of up-coming issues.
by
Travis Ray Cole
I lead and die,retreat
next turn sacrafice exceeds
beyond the limit of need
one more time your move
don't try to why would you cheat and lose
next is a forced turn
no dice your off your feet
time runs out it seems
clock takes its lonely turn
opens the board filled with war
rules and church of life theme
mind win trip scheme
I think we win to lose
not ever knowing the price of dues
I dream of your next move
keeping score by death once more
knowing what the other side holds
not greener and there is no gold
the many pieces that don't fit the puzzle
not thinking we lose each other
so left is the ghost of knight the dying mustang ride
and as many queens as death warrants
a pawn that don't want to be a number anymore
leaving only the colors of hurt
never living in check anymore
do you wanna play some more
the black widow no viel
slides across the crossroads
no devil to take my name
Zandria brings to us this poem.
A thin soft-spoken taxi
driver
teaches generosity
no extra charge
he glides us over ancient
stones
thru the crowded heat
of bursting markets
dispensing his gentle
heart
We travel ecstacy
montaged within the
private nature
of his hand chosen
poignant music
swept by lyric beauty
to exotic worlds away
from the cacophony of
tongues
and daily barter
outside the windows
of our safe passage
Embraced in clarity
the timeless language
of a woman's song
wraps deep red wisdom's
petals round us
compels pure understanding
and my wise companion
a seasoned friend of
Man
when asked
by the young driver"Do
you want?"echoes simply "Yes"
my hand relays the offered
gift
My friend remembers
him remembers me
each time the music
plays
somewhere I dance imagining
~ Zandria ~
Copyright © 1999
Jan Houston All Rights Reserved
This poet is a new contributor to the ezine.
Shouting People, pumping
music
I feel the noise pound
my body
but in my head there
is only silence.
Surrounded by others
- dancing and laughing
I talk only to myself.And
dance alone.
I look up, I am surrounded
by these strangers
who call themselves
friends.
Fingernails painted
the colour that I felt
- a reminder to never
feel again.
I retreat to my cloud...
White noise hushes me
to sleep
I hide hyperactive eyes
in my pillow
and try to watch my
dreams
as they play across
my fluttering eyelids.
KP 7.99 Listen to the music
kate_pheasant@vnu.co.uk
Another new contributor,
from the message board.
God had a dream
And in that dream everything
came into existance
The heavens, the earth
and the seasons
Creatures and plants
of every kind
God created all within
his own mind
God dreamed ego
And man claimed it as
his own
And thought he was God
And began creating his
own dream
And believed it to be
real
And the dream within
the dream continued
Man created everything
within his own mind
And believed it to be
real
And Man's dream turned
into a nightmare
And fear kept him from
the truth
man turned to his creations
to end the suffering
And the relief was not
real
He turned to other men
And the relief was not
real
Man turned to his ego
And the relief was not
real
And when all had failed
Man surrenderred his
ego and fell silent
And in the silence he
saw the truth
And awoke
By Carolyn Barker
July 1999 Copyright.
From the pen of Viesta Barker-Morrison comes these works. She e-mailed a number of poems which will be appearing in this ezine over the next few months.
Masterpiece of Love~
One slow stroke of your
brush
lightly coloring my
world
just a tint at first,
a new shade of
life that I had not
seen before
then more boldly the
hues appeared and
turned my world to rainbows
of
color and light
infusing my soul with
your essence
your touch
your sweetness
applied on my heart
with
gentle artist's wisdom
drawing me into the
sunlight
which is your love
and it is there that
I stay
never to live in the
darkness again
you have made my life
a masterpiece~
Viesta 99~
Within an Instant~
sometimes an instant
lasts forever...
sometimes nothingness
poses as a moment...
in the most precious of moments,
amazing events occur...
sometimes an instant
lasts forever...
but time passes
and then nothingness
poses as a moment...
live your moments...
live in them...
fill them...
because sometimes an
instant
may not last forever...
then time passes
and
nothingness
poses as a moment...
Viesta 99~
Holiday, lovely time. I've been outside and not been spending a lot of time before the computer. I have written a few words for you to read:
The town bell
the bell peels
its mournful call
over the blackened ruin
of the city of death.
no one hears
for the dead and dying
have no ears
for the message of the bell
it chimes out its message
a prayer that no one can hear
for the dead and dying
have no ears
it calls out to heaven
and makes it message heard
O God, it rings
never again!
remembering Hiroshima and
Nagasaki
Empty Page
I look down
at the blank sheet before me
the pureness of its colour
I look at it with desire
the whiteness seductive
I want to possess it
it flirts with me
and then attempts
to reject my advances
I want to caress it with my pen
and violate its purity
with my writing
I want
I lust
to fill it with my thoughts
am I a cad
am I the Casanova of letters?
I am a poet
perhaps both or neither
I just know
I want to fill this page with
my words.
The music for this zine is Diana Krall "When I look into your eyes". A few issues ago I mentioned her sexy sultry sound. Well its still there, although this has a lighter sound then her previous disk. She still sounds great and it would be worth your money to purchase this cd.
All works are copyright by the various authors. Respect their right. ©1999
"Above Ground Testing" is produced and published by Paul. Read, pass on and submit. I'm always looking for new work.
mail to: pabear_7@yahoo.com