“Ebola, Zika, Bird Flu, Swine Flu, Measles, Pertussis, Covid–now its Hantavirus: Time for Another Possible Pandemic in America” © Harmony Witte

 

Huntah heem down

Rats, I’ll just a, hafta
hunta one down

If you see a rat-Dats Sick
Youse’a better use a stick.

And iffah he’s ah, innah kitchen,
youse bettah find a witch’n who knows dose old traditions

And never invite ‘m to dine,
at your place, damn sure not mine

Cause youse knows it’s nearly always fatal,
Not like gambling on a skydive
Or a razor loaded dreidel.

 

Richard Spisak began his artistic career as a light artist in the Lumonics Studios of Mel Tanner, a legendary Light Artist. After serving under Jack Horkheimer as a planetarium operator at the Miami Space-Transit Planetarium, he left to begin traveling with Lumist Kenvin Lyman, whose show Dazzleland Studios traveled across America. Richard later worked as a Laserist with LASERIUM and Laser Productions, served as a technical producer for the festival company PACE Concerts, and later as operations Manager and Senior Producer at WWHP and WTCN-TV in Stuart Florida.

Richard writes for Theatre, TV, radio, and the web. He published two short story collections, Two Small Windows, in a Pair of Mirror Doors, and Between the Silences. Followed by his poetry collection 7370 Allen Drive and the recently released STONE POETRY. Richard also produces “POETS of the East,” a televised webcast featuring poets from across the globe.

Harmony Witte is a Cambridge MA based artist from the Appalachian Diaspora who focuses in surreal watercolors, DIY projects, building community, and dark kitsch. They dabble in fine arts, cultural criticism, public speaking, and arts organizing– including creating paintings, stickers, cards, murals, giant puppets, and zines. Harmony is a self taught “outsider” artist who has been creating since they were a small child. They live in Cambridge, MA with their husband and cat, Spike.