The reading life
In a smorgasbord of smocks
Finding pockets for paint
Or notes scribbled on sun,
The exact slant of it
While strolling to a bench
Where the sky begins…
Azure behind white & one
Can hope for a Patchen bird
Or the eyes of King Kong
Becoming Chagall’s riding
A winged donkey to lovers’
Music only & nothing lonely
In any cinema of mine
In the early 1990's Stephen Mead's poems began appearing in such journals as Onionhead,
Bellowing Ark, and Invert, but upon moving to Provincetown, Mass., Stephen decided to
concentrate more on visual work.
It was in the year 2000 that Stephen started seeking publication again for both his writing and
his art combined. Since, then, thanks to the wonders of the World Wide Web, his work has appeared
internationally both in cyberspace and hard copy. Often the writing has appeared along side his
paintings, and at other times with the text superimposed.
In 2004, Stephen began experimenting even more with these poetry/art hybrids, creating a series
of e-books, including the award winning "We Are More Than Our Wounds". From there, Stephen began
experimenting with his art and poems as films, at first creating slideshows with captions, and
then doing his own soundtracks and voice overdubs. These DVDs are available through
Indieflix.com.
In 2006, Stephen put this technology to use releasing a CD of poems set to music
"Safe & Other Love Poems" (CDBaby.com), as well as two print editions of his image/art hybrids,
"Selected Works" and "Tree Companions", a fractured fairy tale for adults (Lulu.com).
Stephen has also released a novel, “Hang Onto Your Teeth”, through Amazon.com.
Currently, he is working on a film series entitled "Swan Songs," which incorporates live footage
superimposed over his paintings and digitized images while using his own singing voice for soundtracks.
Click the picture below to purchase Stephen's book "Where Time Goes":
Click the picture below to purchase Stephen's book "Hang Onto Your Teeth" and other selected books at Lulu.com:
The contours of 4 spaces
(brown, yellow, lavender, white),
& many windows for the widening…
That kept me in place, changing
As a plant might, for pools of sun,
For the moon’s indigo shadows,
A s superimposing of reflections
Angling angels always as a given
& always on standby…
My hair weaves through this tawny
Carpeting. My breath breathes from walls,
The paneled, the painted, my eyes pulsing
With such life of light shifting
Through worlds of liquid, of spirit-passion,
Though solid, sound enough, every frame is…
Tame, I am no more wild than a volcano
In hibernation.
Enter here. You’ll find desire & when I leave
I flame with keeping these rooms alive
