Barton Saunders in Orange.

Saunders lives in Fullerton, California and currently teaches English at Fullerton College and California State University, Long Beach.

Where Torsos Lay Dreaming
Temporary Vandalism (1997)
TVREC 007    64 pages.
$6.00 postage paid.

To read reviews of this book, click here.

Beyond Baroque Literary Arts
Center
Venice, CA
Bookman
Orange, CA
 

The Sea Hasn't a Voice
    or Beauty Has Never Saved Anyone

Dear Helen,
At the restaurant last night
As the trumpets unfurled
An ugly, but clean blast,
Did you happen to notice
A man in the corner
Light with the note?
In the stir of aperitifs,
In the suckling of olives,
The pulse of swords unsheathed?
The only men that did not court
Your eidolon through cafe tables,
Seas and streets,
Were those dangerously feeble
Who remained arranged
Around the restaurant tables,
Wetting their lips with feta.
I saw you there, dear Helen,
Amongst them,
Mocking the myth
With your full, swinging breasts
Loose beneath your robe,
The pitch of the horns swelling
Like the roll of the breeze
That played the hem by your toes,
Mistaken for the sea.
And you laughed, dear Helen,
Licking the grease from your fingertips
As the hills emptied their children
For the paragon
Who could reclaim a damned race
With the beauty of your face.

Esther #4
Temporary Vandalism (1996)
TVREC 017    12 pages.
Limited edition of 100 numbered copies.
$2.00 postage paid.

All of the poems in this edition of Esther are written by Barton M. Saunders.

Dream Song, The City Has Gone

Before focus is berthed
upon my eyes each morning,
the buildings cry out
with strong voices.

Upon my eyes each morning,
I see buildings singing
with strong voices,
"We are mountains!"

I see buildings singing
and turn to my lover.
"They are mountains."
I say, "We've only been dreaming."

I turn to my lover,
still half-asleep
and say, "We've only been dreaming.
We can wake up now."

Still half-asleep,
I turn back to the window,
"We can wake up now,
the city has gone."

Corn Pone an anthology
Temporary Vandalism (1993)
TVREC 003    64 pages.
$7.00 postage paid.

This anthology contains work by Barton M. Saunders, Alan Cohol, Feliciano Melgar, Al Olefer (of Moe's Art fame), Jamie Jauch, Jerry Gordon, and Cynthia I. Markey.  Limited to 119 numbered copies.

Bleach anthology
Temporary Vandalism (1991)
TVREC 002    40 pages.
$4.00 postage paid.

This anthology contains poetry by Barton M. Saunders, Marcus Parrish, and Alan Cohol.  Limited to 119 copies, all with a hand-stenciled cover.

Dying

cycle
to remind you
all is tempo
rary.
I am the patron saint of li
fe, dying
.Showering you with poison
ous kisses
when you take me bell
y deep for a love
r, hold
ing you warm,
naked in the snow
storm. I taunt you
with perfection
and leave you alone to mastur
bate. I show you the water
that dries up off the street
and the di
rt that falls
out of your water-colour hair.
All the promises empty.
All the promises so empty.
I whisper the birth
days of famous dead movie star
s in your ears
and cleanse your
thoughts
in steaming hot baths.
I am the cushion
for you to lay
your weary he
ad upon
when it is wounded by a bull
et. I hold you
r hand
and guide you
through th garbage to the flowers.
I am the vicious