VD at the Dentist's Office

I cross the icy bridge to the dentist’s office

Reach my destination, but find no solace

It’s Valentine’s Day, VD for short

A celebration of romance and genital warts

The perfect day to stick a drill in my mouth

Infected gums, not infected down south

Floss makes me bleed like a broken heart

Like two lovers, my teeth are torn apart

Rince and spit like a fellatio

Lovey-dovey muzak on the radio

Spinning polisher tickles my gums

I scream, but I get the help of no one

“Please be quiet while I’m working on you”

Okay, Britt Baker, tap me out too

Any cavities today or just a hole in my soul?

Just a toothbrush and floss, you’re the boss

I’ll eat my feelings at my local Burger King

Spend money on burgers, not a wedding ring

A pretty smile doesn’t mean a damn thing

I never do it anyways, got nothing nice to sing

At least my dental work isn’t ruined by mono

Sour grapes is my meal, report it like gonzo

News of my heartache broadcast in a frown

Lay alone in bed and put on some “Lonesome Town”

I survived another god forsaken VD

It’s nothing like the shit in movies and TV

I’ll undo my brainwashing somehow, someway

And VD will just be an ordinary day

Other People

VERSE 1

Your bank account is birth control

Can’t make up for it with heart and soul

Love doesn’t put food on the table

And so ends the romantic fable

CHORUS

You can’t have love, it belongs to other people

No, not you, you could never be their equal

No, no, no, no, no

I said so

VERSE 2

If you complain, they call you an incel

The preacher man damns you to hell

Throw in the towel, you’re now MGTOW

You set fire to the whole damn town

EXTENDED CHORUS 1

You can’t have love, it belongs to other people

No, not you, you could never be their equal

No, no, no, no, no

I said so

You can’t move on, that’s only for other people

No, not you, you must always stay evil

No, no, no, no, no

I said so

BRIDGE

They’re unwritten rules, I don’t make them up

The one who did drinks from a golden cup

Blindly believe and shut your damn mouth

Smile and fake it, don’t bitch and pout

EXTENDED CHORUS 2

You can’t have fame, it belongs to other people

You’re to blame and there’ll never be a sequel

No, no, no, no, no

I said so

You can’t live life, that’s only for other people

Grab the knife, ‘cause you know your fate is sealed

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

The death blow

Not Worth the Pain

CHORUS

You’re not worth the pain

I’ve got nothing to gain

From watching you walk away

You’re not worth the trauma

You’re not worth the drama

Tomorrow’s yet another day

VERSE 1

What makes you worthy of my crowded mind?

What makes you worthy of my precious time?

Anybody can wear the shortest of dresses

Anybody can rock the hottest of messes

But only you can break another man down

Get your entertainment from watching me drown

Goodbye, my friend, for now and forever

I wish you the best in your future endeavors

CHORUS

You’re not worth the pain

I’ve got nothing to gain

From watching you walk away

You’re not worth the trauma

You’re not worth the drama

Tomorrow’s yet another day

VERSE 2

I’ve got enough pain in my oversized heart

And you were hardly the end or the start

I’m a sucker for only the tightest of hugs

It’s kind of like being high on opium drugs

Fool me once and the shame goes on you

Fool me twice and it’s really nothing new

I’ve got to kick this habit sometime soon

Before I get locked up like a loony toon

CHORUS

You’re not worth the pain

I’ve got nothing to gain

From watching you walk away

You’re not worth the trauma

You’re not worth the drama

Tomorrow’s yet another day

VERSE 3

Why do I keep on doing this to myself?

Why do I keep on compromising my health?

Why do I form these unhealthy crushes?

Why do I use friendship as my crutches?

Why do you keep coming back in my life?

Why do you keep on twisting the knife?

Why do you keep on breaking my heart?

Why do you like to tear my life apart?

BRIDGE

Fuck it, fuck it, fuck it!

You’re not worth the pain!

Fuck it, fuck it, fuck it!

You’re not worth the shame!

Fuck it, fuck it, fuck it!

You’re not worth the sadness!

Fuck it, fuck it, fuck it!

You’re not worth the madness!

Cry If I Want To

VERSE 1

Whoever said that men shouldn’t cry

Doesn’t know what it’s like to die inside

Macho madness trumps endless sadness

Tough talk trumps worldwide badness

I never bought that and I never will

These emotions were never mine to kill

Here comes the flood of biblical proportions

You can have my tears, it’s your extortion

CHORUS

It’s my country and I’ll cry if I want to

Cry if I want to

Cry if I want to

If you’re free to wish death upon me

I’m free to let my emotions be

VERSE 2

A romance gone sour can drain one’s power

And then Valentine’s Day will never be okay

A favorite song can tear me apart for so long

Who knew these emotions could be so strong?

Watching death unfold before my own eyes

Is more than enough reason for a good cry

Here comes the river that’ll make me shiver

Here come the tears that’ll make me quiver

CHORUS

It’s my country and I’ll cry if I want to

Cry if I want to

Cry if I want to

If you’re free to wish death upon me

I’m free to let my emotions be

VERSE 3

They can call me a baby, but it’s a lie

Since when did it become illegal to cry?

Am I under arrest or is this a torture test?

Is the orange uniform the way I’ll dress?

Fuck that! This was never a stupid game

Life itself will never ever be the same

Here comes the ocean of raw emotion

Another day of going through the motions

EXTENDED CHORUS

It’s my country and I’ll cry if I want to

Cry if I want to

Cry if I want to

If you’re free to wish death upon me

I’m free to let my emotions be

I’m an American and I’ll cry if I want to

Cry if I want to

Cry if I want to

If you’re free to be my judge

I’m free to seek out my strongest love

El Divorcio

VERSE 1

Is this the life you really want?

Is it worth the price of the ring you bought?

Is it worth the senseless fights?

Do you have to do this every night?

Starting arguments for the hell of it

Your rage and tears are irrelevant

Does any part of you want to break up?

Is it time to dry your eyes and wake up?

CHORUS

El divorcio, el divorcio

It’s all over forever and now

El divorcio, el divorcio

There is nothing to smile about

No more holding hands in public

No more kisses that are sudden

No more passionate love making

When your heart is breaking

VERSE 2

Who was right or wrong all along?

Who’s to blame for this sorrowful song?

Lawyers and judges get to decide

Who gets the gold, who gets the hearse ride

The tiring war goes on for months

It soon turns into a bounty hunt

Is this the result you really need?

Surrendering to aggravated greed?

CHORUS

El divorcio, el divorcio

It’s all over forever and now

El divorcio, el divorcio

There is nothing to smile about

No more holding hands in public

No more kisses that are sudden

No more passionate love making

When your heart is breaking

VERSE 3

Is it too late to start over again?

A newfound lover or just a friend?

A shattered dream to mend with gold?

Another soft hand to gently hold?

Is it too late to turn back the clock?

Find a shoulder to cry on and be your rock?

Are you your own hero? Can you save the day?

Or will you forever push the masses away?

BRIDGE

It’s not over until you say it’s over

Don’t be afraid to pull her closer

Don’t be afraid to say you’re sorry

Let’s start again, my precious darling

Zombies

***ZOMBIES***

When it comes to the horror genre, the new generation is obsessed with three creatures in particular: vampires, werewolves, and zombies. The latter of those three is what this journal is about. We seem to have an unhealthy obsession with zombies these days whether it’s the zombie apocalypse, zombie strippers, or zombie lovers. What we don’t talk about, though, are the zombies who live in the real world. These zombies don’t hunger for brains. They don’t eat flesh. They’re not even necessarily dead. The only death they experience is on the inside. They’re mentally exhausted, emotionally heartbroken, and spiritually lifeless. They come in many forms whether it’s the working stiff, the mentally ill, the insomniac, or just someone who’s been dealt a shitty hand by life itself.

These are the zombies I want to talk about. Unfortunately, very few people want to talk about them with me. The zombies I empathize with are written off as “weak” and “lazy”. Those two slurs are used by the more fortune ones in our lives who don’t experience the same struggles the zombies do. There are two slurs for people like that as well: “spoiled” and “ignorant”. Do these people actually think the life of someone living in a constant haze is glorious? We all aspire to work hard and improve our situations. But if we can’t wake up from our hazy states, sometimes we have to take a step back and reevaluate things.

If you can’t get anything accomplished due to your constant state of numbness, know that you’re not alone and you’re certainly not “weak”. Your struggles don’t make you “lazy”. In the words of Maria Brink when she sings the In This Moment song “Out of Hell”, “Your struggles make you beautiful.” When you experience failures in your life that lead to emotional numbness, overcoming them is a sweet victory. But sometimes in your battles with the world, you have to lose a few. Nobody likes to lose, especially to an opponent as invisible as a mental wound.

The word “zombie” can also be a slur in and of itself, but know that when I use it, I don’t intend for it to be. In fact, giving a dark fantasy name to a modern world struggle is a good way to ignite anybody’s imagination. The thing about zombies in dark fantasy media is that it takes a lot to kill them. No matter how badly they’re beaten, they keep getting up and feasting on their opponents even more. If you’re experiencing a loss in your battles with your mind and body, know that it’s only temporary. You will have your victory in due time and when you do, it’ll be one well-earned. How’s that for being “weak”, Mr. Ignoramus?

We may be drowning in our own sorrows, but drown as we may, we know what fresh oxygen feels and tastes like. Our little victories aren’t little at all. To say otherwise would earn you the “ignorant” and “spoiled” slurs I spoke of earlier. If you’re an author who’s trying to wake up long enough to write a story, don’t beat yourself up for your story being imperfect. If you’re a mother dragging yourself along to get everything done in addition to tending to your children, then be proud of yourself no matter what the outcome. If you’re working nine to five in a call center and you fucking hate your job, don’t allow the negativity of customers to put you in a deeper slumber.

Waking up from the zombie-like state is a great victory no matter who you are. But when we wake up, it won’t be because of negative attitudes. It’ll be because we engaged this mental monster with our hearts and souls. We’ve got ears, say cheers! If for some reason you think I sound like Kevin McCarthy right now, know that I’m one of the zombies I talked about this whole time.

　

***WEEKLY SHORT STORY CONTESTS AND COMPANY***

It’s a new week of contests and the prompt is “The Last Goodbye”, which was something I personally harvested from my new Disturbed CD called “Immortalized”. Most of my prompt ideas come from CD’s I’ve purchased recently and being the music hunter I am, that’s a lot of goddamn prompts. I’m happy that Ryan Stone used one of mine this week. He’s an awesome guy! This week’s story will be something I originally intended to do independently, but since it fits the prompt, I’ll write it for the contest. It’s called “The Happy Slasher” and it goes like this:

　

CHARACTERS:

　

Lisa Roberts, Sheriff
Cletus Jung, Serial Killer

　

PROMPT CONFORMITY: After this story is over, only one of these two characters will be saying their last goodbyes while the other perishes.

　

SYNOPSIS: In the wild west, Lisa has been investigating a string of murders in her desert town of Tombstone. She’s ready to call it a night and heads toward the saloon for a frosty beer. After a few chugs, she passes out on the ground and wakes up bound and gagged in Cletus’ dungeon. Cletus reveals himself to be “The Happy Slasher” and the reason for his string of murders is all because he asked Lisa on a date and she “rudely” turned him down. This loser in love now plans to butcher Lisa with an overly sharpened machete.

　

***POISON TONGUE TALES***

The most recent story from this series I edited was “The Beautiful People”. I thought it was going to be a miserable experience and it turned out to be yet another cakewalk. The next one I plan on doing is “Conform”, which is about two necromancers who try to control a single zombie (we’ve come full circle with the zombie theme). It’ll have a new title, but the story will be the same albeit improved.

　

　

***DARK FANTASY WARRIORS***

For a novel that barely had the chance to take off, I’m sure taking a liking to drawing pictures of Blood Brawl characters. The next one I plan on doing is of Balrog Deathtrap, a Halfling monk who serves as the main villain of the demon town Aragon. Yes, his race says he’s a Halfling, but his hideous features will dictate otherwise. Hehe!

　

***WRESTLING DIALOGUE OF THE DAY***

RICH BRENNAN: Do you think Renee Young was giving you a hard time about not being a real Canadian?
KEVIN OWENS: I don’t know, Rich, does anybody give you a hard time about looking like Millhouse from The Simpsons?