Poem of the Day

termites of the page

the problem that i've found with
most poets that I have known is that
they've never had an 8 hour job
and there is nothing
more in touch
with the realities
than
an 8 hour job.

most of these poets
that I have known
have
seemingly existed on
air alone
but
it hasn't been truly
so;
behind them has been
a family member
usually a wife or mother
supporting these
souls
and
so it's no wonder
they have written so
poorly:
they have been protected
against the actualities
from the
beginning
and they
understand nothing
but the ends of their
fingernails
and
their delicate
hairlines
their lymph
nodes.

their words are
unlived, unfurnished, un-
true, and worse—so
fashionably
dull.

soft and safe
they gather together to
plot, hate,
gossip, most of these
American poets
pushing and hustling their
talents
playing at
greatness.

poet (?):
that word needs re-
defining.

when I hear that
word
I get a rising in the
gut
as if I were about to
puke.
let them have the
stage
so long
as I need not be
in the
audience.

-Charles Bukowski

Derek Noble - Bringing the Grotesque to Traditional Tattoos

Derek Noble is a man that has an eye for the ugly. And I mean that in the best way possible. The way that he combines gore with art is amazing. Derek works out of a shop on Capitol Hill in Seattle, WA. The shops name being Lucky Devil Tattoo off 12th Ave. (206-323-1637) Derek has a unique style of his own and should be renowned for it. The way he brings the disturbance of gore and being torn to shreds into tattoos and art is stunning, from zombies to the demon goat himself.

I, myself, have got one of his works of art on me forever. It isn't as large as many other pieces he has accomplished but it is by far my favorite. I went into Lucky Devil Tattoo on a late weekday afternoon one year ago. As I walk into the shop I notice a bulky man standing tall, bald head, but a long beard. I realize that this is Derek. I approach him with no picture or reference, but just an idea for a tattoo in my mind. All I wanted was a zombie on my wrist with a banner that said "dead", but what he came up with was beyond my expectations. He drew up a zombie holding a bone, dripping with blood, and even included tiny flies flying around him. The finished product was excellent, I didn't even need a touch-up.


Derek is definitely going down in tattooing history. If I had the chance to interview him it would be an honor. I would love to know how he started his art career and where he gets his inspiration. If you would like to find out for yourself, just go down to Lucky Devil in Seattle and you'll find him there.

Derek Noble is our first featured artist in R!OT Magazine. If you would like to check out more of Derek's artwork you can visit:
www.luckydeviltattooparlor.com
www.fatzombie.com
Visit Lucky Devil Tattoo at this address:
1720 12th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122





All art by: Derek Noble

Keeping Up With The Jones

The 40" LCD flat screen TV, the panasonic blueray DVD player,  the 2010 Apple iPad, the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro - do we really need this junk? Average Americans spend millions of dollars every year on the latest technology, from TV's to cars to things that make our lives lazier. What ever happened to the days of playing outside? You know the place beyond the four walls of our houses. I'll always remember one quote my mom said to me after I went off on how I hate all of the latest consumer products that get released one after the other. I would always say "I don't need money to be happy. Money makes you insecure. Money makes you weak. Money, money, money." She told me "You're right you don't need money to be happy, but money does make life a lot more comfortable." I hate to argue so I just agreed, but if we want to evolve into something greater, it needs to be a lot less comfortable to live. When have we ever become stronger by living on the easy side of the tracks? Or when have we ever gotten quicker or faster by sitting on the couch all day? I believe the only way we can become a more united country, or a nicer community, or a stronger individual is to stop focusing on what the Jones' have got in their living room or garage and focus on what we need, not on what we want.

First Post

I'm going to start this magazine with a personal article about a story my father told me. My dad himself is not an activist, but the story that he told me has an activist feel to it. The funny thing about this story is he told it to me after saying that being vegetarian was a pointless choice to save animals. After the end of it I told him the story was more in my favor. He just laughed and said "I know." The story goes like so...

There is a beach in South America that millions of starfish wash up on the beach from the high tide every fall. The tide rolls out so quickly that 90% of the starfish are left out to dry out on the beach. From the heat and lack of water they are left to die. One man goes out onto this beach every day and throws the starfish one by one back out into the sea. He does this every day till the last day of fall. The last day another man walks onto this beach and yells at the man throwing "Why are you doing that?"
The man throwing the starfish into turns and says "What?"
The other says "Look around you. There are thousands maybe millions of starfish wiped out onto this beach. What do you think throwing maybe only a few hundred into the sea makes a difference, when all the others will die?"
The man throwing the starfish picks up one and throws it like a frisbee out into the sea. As he does this, he points out to where it lands, far beyond the strength of any tide and says "Made a difference for that one."
The man picks up another, looks at the other man, and does the same thing to another starfish. "Made a difference for that one."

I'm not sure if you have heard this story. But the point is that it doesn't take that much to make a difference, even if it just a small one.
So I say we all go to this beach and start throwing these starfish back. Because as one we make a small difference, but little by little as more people come to help, we can change the world.

-Taylor Duffus