Nathan Tompkins


Duck and Cover


In the time of duck and cover,
they taught us ICBMs
would poison our breath.

So hide beneath the school desks,
fingers woven to the back of the neck,

and never watch the sun explode
as it finger paints your shadows on the wall.

Let your hair fall out.
Let your gums bleed,
Let the nightmares
weep into your pillow
in this time
of duck and cover.



Shut In


Here the forever twilight of
every sin melts childhood dreams,
as the seconds click through their revolution.

I can almost hear the muted speech
behind thin walls beg me to swallow
25 milligram angels
trapped in child proof bottles,
as the seconds click through their revolution.

Unable to sleep, my weariness imprisons
my guilt, my failures, my dreams
drowned in last night’s whiskey breath.
Soon the voices move on
reaching for self medicated parole,
and the seconds click...




Bio: Nathan Tompkins writes things.  His work has appeared in many places, including Menacing Hedge, Hobo Camp Review, and Five2One.  His latest chapbook, Howl Drunkenly at the Moon, was published by Alien Buddha Press in July, 2018.

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The views and opinions expressed throughout belong to the individual artists and may or may not coincide with those of the other artists (or editors) represented within the magazine. Hobo Camp Review supports a free-for-all atmosphere of artistic expression, so enjoy the poetry, fiction, opinions, and artwork within, read with an open mind, and comment wisely. Thanks for stopping by the Camp!