blackmail press 35
David "Ghostboy" Stavanger
Australia

Taipari O Maraea - Penny Howard
index
David Stavanger's poetry & writing has been published in various Australian and international magazines and anthologies.His performance alter-ego Ghostboy has established himself one of Australia’s most innovative spoken word artists, incorporating elements of performance art, music and cabaret. In 2012 he was invited to be QLD’s Workplace Writer in Residence as part of the National Year of Reading. David is also Australia’s inaugural “Reader in Residence” based at Brisbane Square Library throughout 2013.

Link:

Ghostboy with Golden Virtues.  www.myspace.com/holyghostboy
Sleep, hit me (Frank’s song)


a.      first key opens the door.
second unlocks the night.
when you enter the room,
it has no corners. her voice falls 
down the hall. lock up the tears.
young water breaks here.


b.     on Lincoln, we shot the breeze
under winter trees. in these woods
I tried to be frank, we curious cats,
your skirt sang like fire engine. open
enough boxes, you soon discover
the siren behind the door. 


c.      stay in the car. hard to the wheel.
wait for my call. don’t answer
the phone. hit the horn. never brake.
matches lit burn.

she watches him leap the stairs
like a man on fire. her desire not
to find answers is lost before the
sandman gathers the creases.


d.     on Lt Williams’s desk are two phones,
police radios cleave the air. he can’t tell
you where this is heading but he can tell
you when it will start. you can call her
pretty - he says – cause’ pretty girl graves
aren’t deep. fat chance dances on a rooftop.
when Frank arrives he never comes.
he is leather, he is the fucker, he is love.
some people wear masks to surprise
the senses, others don’t wear fear at all.
he smells of well-heeled jacks at the spring ball.


e.      the teeth aren’t the problem / he will cut you with his eyes.
in dreams we are not together / we are not alone.
kiss me. don’t kiss me. kiss me.
there is a black scar across my blue heart.