Photography © Glenn Bowie

 

Fellow Mellows

          Hello mellow fellows;
          from across this dearest world we roam,
          This green place so filled with sounds;
          abound from seven seas of salt and foam,
          We triumph as we trial ourselves;
          fail as we call home to quit- quiet in an angry fit,
          Standing by as the other guy ties the lace;
          noosed for the nape in another’s grace,
          and sometimes we are sick of it.
          We love the lost;
          don’t forget why they’ve fallen- or all our hopes are tossed in what’s been broken,
          death forgotten,
          But here you are to remind the reflection,
          in the present of what’s been missing;
          of that thing that makes you fierce in contention- in songs and poems on little called cards of conversation,
          that learn you yourself in long arbitration,
          That force that will take you a mile,
          in any direction;
          your smile- that can never be taken.
          It can be faken, or the bearing tooth of Satan, but fellow mellows that is all the more reason to make the Smile your relation,
          Because the language of love is the hardest to master;
          better it is to learn slower than faster,
          And when practice makes perfect- I can tell you that is true in whole;
          so can mastery of your smile wield a life that is full.

 

Robin J Bartley is a fantasy novelist and writer born and raised in Oak Park, Chicago, with a heavy focus on the psychological elements in both themself and their characters. They work to build intricate worlds for their readers to get lost in, and is known for crafting thematically rich stories and characters meant to display the depths of the conscious mind. With hands-on experience in the magnitude of such larger projects, and an unmatched dedication to their characters and themes, they offer limitless drive and unmatched creative passion.

Glenn Bowie is a published poet, lyricist, and photographer from the Boston area. He also owns and operates an elevator company that supplies custom-built elevators for clients from New England to Hollywood. Author of two poetry and photograph collections (Under the Weight of Whispers and Into the Thorns and Honey) on Big Table Publishing, he donates all profits from his books to various charities for the homeless and local animal shelters.