Heiko Julien

The tension is palpable.

I’m not allowed to carry a gun in Chicago so I am turning my body into a weapon. I do hundreds of sit-ups every day. Bike two hours a day. Wake up early in the morning and lift weights.

My debut collection of poetry and prose, I Am Ready to Die a Violent Death is now available.

“Yeah, of course. ‘Matt Damon’ is really chill. He’s really busy with work most of the time anyway.”

I watched myself dissolve, becoming permanently incorporated into something else, forgetting what I was, with these brand new cells.

Be genuinely nice to people without expecting anything in return so they in turn assume your emotional energy is free and spend it freely. Love unconditionally until you get tired and stop.

But presently, in this blissful instant, I am high on caffeine, imagining petting a dog. I will not waste this grace.

Calm, steady breaths enter and exit Beyoncé’s body as she watches the colors on the backs of her eyelids, mostly light pink with some bluish hues. Pretty.