Empty Cupboards – Timothy Arliss O’Brien

The desolation started during the pandemic.
Lines at the bank wrapped around and around the block.
For some
It was their first encounter with the demon of food insecurity.

The young ones cried carrying around an empty stomach for
God knows how long,
While the parents whimpered embarrassed as headlines labeled
them failures.

Others hoarded supplies as normal. More than enough to overflow their plates, their houses, even their silos.

The angels looked down in disgust as they counted resources,
knowing there was plenty for every hungry mouth and yearning stomach, while supplies rotted in the fields, untouched.

The seraphim begged for the creator to intervene, and stop the
destruction of His most
precious sculptures,

“I’ve tried, they’ve refused my help and won’t love themselves,
each other.” Was all the almighty everlasting would echo.

“If only they could share,” said Saint Peter, working tirelessly at
the golden gates in the clouds, granting reprieve and entrance
to lines and lines of casualties wrapped around and around the
block.

Timothy Arliss O’Brien is an interdisciplinary artist in music composition, writing, and visual arts. His goal is to connect people to accessible new music that showcases virtuosic abilities without losing touch of authentic emotions. He has premiered music with The Astoria Music Festival, Cascadia Composers, Sound of Late’s 48 hour Composition Competition and ENAensemble’s Serial Opera Project. He also wants to produce writing that connects the reader to themselves in a way that promotes wonder and self realization. He has published several novels (Dear God I’m a Faggot, They), and has written for Look Up Records (Seattle), Our Bible App, and Deep Overstock: The Bookseller’s Journal. He has also combined his passion for poetry with his love of publishing and curates the podcast The Poet Heroic. He also showcases his makeup skills as the phenomenal drag queen Tabitha Acidz.
Check out more of his writing, and his full discography at his website: www.timothyarlissobrien.com

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