from collection ‘tell 5pm it’s god somewhere’ (Oct 2025):

from collection tell 5pm it's god somewhere (Oct 2025):



ADDICTION, FOR SCALE

A squirrel eating a star in the mouth of god

/

I WROTE THIS POEM THAT YOU MIGHT READ THE TITLE AND WANT TO WATCH BEN FOSTER IN SHARP CORNER

I would cry for my mother.

I would ask my father
to cry for my mother.
I would cry for my father.

I would ask my father
to cry for his brothers.
I would cry for my sister 
who said god 
is a cigarette 
in the cosmos.

I would cry nailgun cry unkissed heels

I would cry for my brothers.
I would cry in other words thrice 
For myself.

I would cry on film for god for god on film

I would cry for the drink drinking that the drinking ends

I would cry brevity

Cry foreskin forecry

Cry rest
room rest
moon

I would cry for god all that 
All that having
to separate 
the naked from the naked.

I would cry for my children
Cry Genevieve

Cry Beverly

Cry name, knowing name
hears not

Cry ghost for the ghost
whose ghost
thinks dogs
are real

those dogs, with time

/

WRITER THING

the eyes
in a sad
race
a game
of godless
tag

/

SWAM

blue hair crying 
in your wrist

/

LIGHTNING’S FIRST MOUSE

I was suicidal for years in my mother’s field of melancholy jellyfish. Our past changes the sex of the wrong person. Even time believes it’s god’s addiction to time.

/

VIOLENCES BEFORE SWEETNESS

designed lightning designed a pair of scissors from something sleeping in the thigh sobbing on the right side of god

designed sound designed a voice for god as a way for animals to tell jokes 

unburn
the angels

it’s my year to add a brother

designed these fuckers designed

designed a machine designed a map to cover with cornfields the umbilical cord koans of data abandonment 

designed sleep designed restraint blue

designed blue

designed my brothers designed they are white

designed skin designed pressing on prayer with the oyster bruise of a fingernail starved in a mirror by the invisible disciples of nakedness

designed death death I did this for

/////


TELL 5PM IT'S GOD SOMEWHERE
poems, Barton Smock
125 pages
October 2025
cover image by Noah Michael Smock

Collection is pay-what-you-want. Be sure to include your name/address details in the comment section of payment type. Email bartonsmock@yahoo.com for free PDF if interested in reviewing.

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