Above Ground Testing

Issue #8


Table of Contents

Opening Remarks
Book Review
Submissions
My Poems
Closing Words

Opening Remarks

Welcome to this issue. This is our special Valentine's issue, the issue of love, romance, candlelights and roses. I do thank all those who took the challenge to prepare and submit poems and stories of love. They were all enjoyable to read and to post within the pages of this little zine. It is good to know that romance is still very much alive in this day and age. Our culture has not extinguished the flame of passion that burns within each of us.

Some more additions to the web page. As I learn how to do this sort of thing, I will try to introduce new things. Just recently I've decided to add a commercial link. I'm sorry for the addition of capitalism to the page, but I just couldn't resist the five cents (US funds) a click that I would get. I am weak, please forgive me. On a brighter side, there is a message board for you to post your thoughts and words. I hope many will take advantage of this new medium. As always, the purpose of this ezine is to present the work of myself and others.  I have also made up a "Guidelines for Submissions", I hope this will explain the mission of AGT and what I'm looking for in submissions. 


Book Review

The book for this issue is the latest from Douglas Coupland: Girlfriend in a Coma . Reading Douglas Coupland is always an interesting experience. His work goes from a study of pop-culture ("Generation X" and "Shampoo Planet"), to fiction, such as "Microserf". "Girlfriend" is a return to the latter, a departure from his last book, "Polaroids of the Dead". The book begins with a young couple making love on the ski slope of Grouse Mountain; a part of the north shore mountains overlooking Vancouver. I used to wake up every morning to look at that mountain, providing it wasn't raining. From there the couple and a few close friends attend a house thrashing party. From there things go downhill. A quick couple of drinks leads to the girlfriend going into a coma. The books then chronicles the lives of the friends. While they experience the vapid life-numbing emptiness of modern life, they still keep in contact with their friend in the coma. This is especially true of the narrator who discovers his girlfriend is pregnant and will give birth.

Then, all of a sudden, she wakes up. It is a glorious moment which signals another turn of events- like the end of the world. This is obviously not a work of normal fiction. To know the rest of the story, get the book and read it.

Coupland is arguing against the shallowness of modern life, compelling us to find some more meaning to our lives, the question is, what will it be.


Submissions

A thanks to all who took the time to write and share their work of love and romance for this special edition of AGT. The poems reveal a number expressions of love and even the disappointment that can come.

The first work comes from Ryan. This poem is from his web page. He's got a few poems posted and I look forward to reading more of his work.

 Between strange peaks, 
  Our city walls are erected, 
    Walls of ghastly marble, white and uninviting. 
  We hide ourselves withing them, 
    We are graceful, 
 Brief and vague. Fleeting images. 

    The  light robs me of concentration, 
In this place she surpasses my being 
Again and again with the simplicity of her own. 
  
    I will cast my shadow where dreams fold 
Onto each other without care or hesiatation. 

    I will measure myself in the harsh sterility 
                    Of the new moon. 

    I am fearful of language, 
        I am ever grateful for dreams. 
    In sleep I may find voice, 
    Until the sun sends forth the 
      Dawn's first emissaries. 
Ryan Searfoss.
Zandria is back, gracing these pages with another one of her works. I look forward to mail from her, knowing it may contain a poem like this:
Invitation II

 Come dance
 to the rhythm
 of God's breathing
 in this ultimate 
 performance
 of great souls
 rediscovering
 that thru all 
 the trappings
 costumes
 scripts
 performances
 applause
 that who we are
 is who we were
 and all 
 we need to be
 to win the day
~ Zandria ~
Copyright 1999 Jan Houston
All Rights Reserved
Another newcomer to this zine is Leviathan. The mail from this reader contained two works. This one gives us the darker side of romance, when the object of love is not there, or the relationship is over:
FOR KEVIN
The pain within my heart grows ever thicker 
as the old wound is reopend 
and the tide of woefullness is spilled upon the ground 
bloody tears fall from my face 
i miss your sweet embrace  
as the moon calls and shadows dance upon my soul 
ever searching
the one i find may be within myself 
right before my eyes 
taunting and calling the winds do blow 
my hair is swept accross my face 
as the visons subdue and the candles burn low 
i think of you and your sweet embrace 
as never before
Leviathan

cj of cj2000 sent me a very special submission. It is a poem she wrote to her husband on their anniversary. This is a very special gift for all of us to read.

Remembering May 4th, 1996

I could not deny the beating love that lead me
to that place where we began our journey
May 4th, 1996.

Since then you've been my first star
shining in the black blue night,
you've been my bright light,
a fixed point in the chaos.

When times become tough
I need only reach to the sky
and find you there:
my security in the storm,
my shelter that carries me
through the confusion.

My soul still stirs
and soars within my trembling skin
when you touch me in the depths of my sorrow.

You, my friend,
You, my lover,
You, my husband,
my only soul mate.

To you I bear my life
and not fear betrayal.
To you I give my heart

cj
Another new poet "Lady Lost" has sent a number of romantic poems. This is her first submission to the zine, it will not be the last.
Unaccustomed

Unaccustomed to languages
Languages of lovers
Untaught in touches
Caresses of love
Ignorant of kisses
Seductive and probing
Tender lasting nibbles
Upon longing lips
Still there are dreams
Revealing such secrets
In inadequate surges
Trembling through spaces
Dreams become starvations
Starvation’s to questions
Questions to desperation’s
Searching for fulfillment
Fulfillment is a renegade
Lashing at restraints
Restraints too long kept
Snapping at the chains
Of their cruel keeper
Little proper ways
Improperly maintained
By their winner
Leading to hunger
An immoral rush
Carrying minds away
Into pleading cries
Oh, someone worthy!
Find me quickly!
I am over-ripe
Within wants vineyard
Upon romance’s vines.
By Lady Lost
Copyright © 1999
All rights reserved.
Yes I have a Library of Congress Copyright!

My Poems

Understanding

I'm trying to
                  understand this thing called love.
Why am I bothered by such a
       strange emotion.

It bothers me,
  because I don't like being out of control.
 I expect to be in control,
                 and I was,
until

   you came near.

Good Day

It's a good day
to look out the window with you.
  to lose our thoughts
together in the weather
and drift along,
   not focusing on anything
and pretend we're totally alone.

we stand there together
until
reality makes a noise
and we go on with the rest of our lives.

Music from Carmen

watching out my window,
   seeing more flakes settle on the
growing mounds and piles
  that seem poised to sweep down and
cover all the ground near me.

On the radio
  the band is in full swing
the hot licks of the trumpets
try to melt the air around me.

I just sit,
and watch, and listen
waiting, waiting
for the chance to go
and be with you, again.

this next poem deals with the other side of the love equation:

She took my last chance at happiness

I gave you chocolates,
and a pretty card.
You stood at the door
  and thanked me, but didn't invite me in.

Later that week,
  as I walked past your place,
I found the chocolate and the card
both in the trash.
  I only hope
that you ate all the chocolates
  and you thought
the card was too mushy.
 


Closing Words

I have been flattered and humbled by the comments my work has been drawing over the past few months. Thank you for your acceptance of my works and my zine.
Music for this Zine:
Prokofiev: String Quartets 1 & 2, Cello Concerto. This is worth buying for the Cello concerto alone. Those opening notes brought a shiver down my spine. It was an amazing piece of work, available on the Nexos label. 
All works are the property of the respected authors. ©1999. "Above Ground Testing" is published monthly by Paul, in an underground location on the North American continent. Correspondence to:pabear_7@yahoo.com
Submissions always welcomed.
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