Broken Mind - Voices

So many questions swelling in my head,
like a pregnant viper,
with a belly full of acid.
Answers dance just out of my reach,
teasing me with their elusive seductions.
Secrets stand like monoliths,
enigmatic towers that touch the sky,
soon they start to crumble,
crashing down around me,
hailing boulders of lies & betrayal.
Muddy pools beneath my feet,
nurse the slobbering slug of chaos & confusion,
it is fat and well fed on pain.
It slithers towards me,
hungry to devour my brains & soul.
If I scream will he burst & die?
Or will he swallow me whole?
All of these things will fade away eventually...
I hope.
Oh GOD! I'm clawing my eyes out!
Blood & flesh drip from my empty sockets,
forming puddles of gore on my lips.
Someone save me! I'm going to explode!
Please help me, I'm afraid.
What is it like to be sane?
I wish I knew.
Will you help me learn how to mend my broken mind?
Answer me DAMMIT!
Why do you ignore me!?
But I have forgotten haven't I?
You can't hear me,
I'm only screaming inside my head,
how I ache for answers & peace.
But the dead hear my cries & they will talk,
they will snicker in their moldering graves,
and I will rip off their spongy rotting heads,
and feast upon their maggoty brains.
Let me out of this COFFIN you call a LIFE!
Please I want to be free,
you cruel bastards,
Why have you made me?
My soul is trapped in your passionless eyes,
I will never be free,
but in sleep I will find succor,
as my lids grow heavy,
I will find relief,
and wake tomorrow,
to a gray dawn of dissolution.

-Louise Bohmer

This is the third of five poems I'm illustrating for an upcoming book of dark poetry called "From Dandelions to Razor Blades" to be published later this year. I've never been asked to illustrate anybody's poetry before, so I was kinda nervous about doing it. Especially since I had to come up with 5 pics. However, instead of artwork for a story meant to be literally translated onto paper, I was able to draw anything inspired by the poetry. Louise Bohmer's poems turned out to be alot of fun. I had no problems coming up with the pics to accompany the writings as most of them were pretty dark and morbid. Considering the artwork is inspired by the poetry, I figured I'd post the poem along with the art. I finished all five pics over the weekend.

Poetry by Louise Bohmer [link]

Art by Dick Starr