once upon a rainbow

monsters don’t only live in the dark
they can inhabit the light as well
in crystal castles or silky meadows
or knee-deep in marshmallow rivers

no warning, all charge, the unicorn rises
threatening death with thunderous hooves
it seems the most innocent of creatures
can also run plum out of patience

beautiful and elegant, it gores you
your viscera entangled in its mane
horn arcs, glints like wine spilled in the sun
yes, this is no mere ruby’s sparkle

even gargoyles, devils, trolls and wolves
fear the unicorn’s territorial will
because not only can it disembowel
it will also shit rainbows over your corpse

so remember kids, monsters are real
they’re just not always what you would think
now close your eyes, listen to a lullaby
about crystal castles and silky meadows…

by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2024

print queue

i ordered a 3d printer today
the opportunities are endless
i can print some nice decorations
or print a brand new gutenberg press
or even print a new stapes for both ears
or at least two brand new hearing aids
or how about a robot interpreter
fluent in every sign language ever
but will communication be better
if i spend a big fat cheque on this
sure, i could print a stack of gold bullion
to buy me a god to answer my prayers
or print a brand new humbert humbert
to buy me a god to answer my prayers

by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2024

eyes in the storm

my favourite gift is a closed one
that moment where nothing is known
that calm before an unwrapping storm
in anticipation of what’s to come

my favourite book is a closed one
that moment where nothing happens
that calm before a reading storm
in anticipation of what’s to come

my favourite lips are closed ones
that moment where nothing is said
that calm before a kissing storm
in anticipation of what’s to come

my favourite heart is an open one
so tell me true, are you ready for war
many shall ride the carousel with me
but few shall choose to stand with me

my favourite casket is a closed one
that moment where nothing remains
that calm after the final storm of
memories of all that’s come & gone

by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2024

from silence we rose

they say there will be a golden age
when the lion lays down with the lamb
& i say there will be a golden age
when the lamb goes for the lion’s jugular

we cannot sup safely with the fascists
without them exacting their pound of flesh
there’s no more time for demure silence
when they’re raising goblets full of our own blood

when free thinkers are chained to dogma
& women are made the property of man
they’ll poke their noses into every bedroom
declare that our love violates god’s will

we cannot lay down & be fucked like this
we lambs must sharpen our teeth for the fight
stub their gaping throats with righteous ire
with the shepherd’s crook we took back from fools

by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2024

fearocity

you can’t seriously believe
that the rabble will become tamer
if you let them rattle the bones
paint their faces with bird droppings
and kill one another out of fear

aren’t we all demons in sunlight
perched on the corpses of angels
aren’t we all angels in shadow
presiding over flesh and bone

you can’t seriously believe
that billionaires are ethical
or in their dreams of conquering mars
when the rabble are crushed by mad cars
and clip one another out of fear

aren’t we all demons in sunlight
perched on the corpses of angels
aren’t we all angels in shadow
feasting on feather, flesh and bone

you can’t seriously believe
that they seriously believe
they’re the villains of their stories
in such apocalyptic dreams
fighting high and low out of fear

aren’t we all demons in sunlight
perched on the corpses of angels
aren’t we all angels in shadow
pricking with pitchforks feather and bone

by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2024