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Inflamed Currents of Mind

Laura Dent

When did I become so hot-headed?

 

A feeling,

some nebulous black vapour

set alight and fulminated by some

distant spark.

 

Burning like coal

From a remark nudged

or thrown across the table

‘as lightly as the broken wing of an insect’,

a fragment

of atmosphere

caught in an undercurrent.

 

Atoms upon our minds,

Our tiny formless emotions

and frustrations,

Numerous but minute,

Unborn but ready.

 

A remark

like a blade

Between the skin and my thumb nail,

Drawing blood while my eyes flame.

 

My mind makes more noise

than the cows grazing in the dusk,

the muttering of the leaves,

the train’s horn two miles away,

and the small creatures unseen

rummaging close to the ground.

 

Intense currents

of mind,

Diffused by the nothingness of nature,

That serene emptiness

which doesn’t need to be filled.

 

A stillness

or simplicity that sheds light

and quietly convulses that heavy

head

of mine.

Editors for Inflamed Currents of Mind not yet setup.

New Beginnings is our third and final volume of 2020. It is also our longest yet, with close to 100 pieces having been sent in for review from over 80 writers. Additionally, this volume marks a step towards making our initiative even more inclusive, having opened submissions for art and photography, too.

2021 may not be the new beginning for which we are all hoping. In fact, it is likely that the world will stay largely the same. However, that doesn’t stop us doing what we can to make it a little better. In supporting and being involved in an initiative whose primary motivation is to build one another up, our team and readership have certainly proven to be committed to making positive change already.

First published by Ta Voix 2020