Messy Misfits Club & Truthtellers #Publication

I had a little arts publication recently with Messy Misfits Club, which I’m delighted to tell you about. I’m unable to share the whole issue but I’ve attached screen shots of my work for you.

I originally created these paintings for an arts challenge I did in 2021 (Inktober). Meander was a response to the prompt word knot, and Ultra Violet was a response to the prompt word Lush, both created using ink, watercolour and gel pen on paper.

Then, a couple of months ago, MMC had an arts callout for their 4th issue under the theme Dreamscape and I thought I’d send a few pieces their way. I wasn’t sure if they really fit the theme. But you know how things just kind of loom out at you all of a sudden during dreams? I figured they had that sort of quality about them. And the above two pieces were accepted so it worked out fine.

It’s quite a young zine so I felt like a bit of a dino amongst the other contributors! But what the hell. Nobody cares about that really. It’s a lovely issue with some great poems and artwork throughout. Kind of punk meets chewing gum. You can purchase a print copy, or request a free digital copy, via their website under the Shop tab.

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I also had the wonderful news recently that my two erasure poems Nomad and Revelation, originally published in Issue viii of Free Verse Revolution: Guinevere, have also been published in Free Verse’s annual anthology featuring the best work of the year under the theme Truthtellers. I’m so pleased to be part of this anthology, it’s packed full of beautiful work and it’s lovely to be picked for it. You may purchase a print copy here if you wish. However, if any of my longstanding fellow bloggers are over their spending limit this month but would still love to read a copy, (cause you simply can’t buy everyone’s new book / journal / chapbook, right? Who’s made of money like that?) message me via the contact form and I can email you a digital copy for free.

On another note, I’ve been listening to a lot of Joanna Newson recently. Here’s The Book of Right-on from her album The Milk-Eyed Mender (2004). Finger-plucking awesome!

Little Ceremonies

© Jael Rodriguez

We eat dust cake moon 
with our tea 
sipped in the silence 
of a sunny afternoon. 
Key ingredients:

a claiming of space
no gibbering, no masks
a gong resounding 
into the noon and beyond
as confetti of thoughts

dissolve, euphonious.
Here we sit 
I and fellow lunatic
at fully waxed table 
while tea leaves steeped 

in memories of the future
are herbivorously drunk 
in between bites
of body of moon
cake-dust-sweet.


© N Nazir 2023

Written for Shay’s Word Garden, where we are given inspiration with poet George Hitchcock (words used: gibbering, mask(s), gong, confetti).

Written for Sammi Scribbles Weekend Writing Prompt: Key, 71 words