Death by Design

cage | stage, #1

'Surrendering his paper planes to the winds of public opinion', Werner Schmidt, musician, writer, performer, publishes his debut collection of sixty poems, in a first of three volumes. As a fan of reality, he likes to embrace his perception of what is, and then imagine new possibilities.

Volume I, death by design – a title that describes his awareness of the mysterious, reveals his openness to experiences such as a trip to the art museum, shopping mall, and the moments before the Big Bang.

A mystic berry that pervades culture. An apocalypse, as predicted by satellite TV. The frightful joy of bringing children into this world. A living will, involving the Namib desert. The cultural evolution of cave dwellers. A story of stories. Soul fishers hooked on dogs playing cards. Ideas for constructive sex. Inspiration from taxi slogans. He gets a little blue, time traveling back to the beginning, followed by a poem on time. Existential questioning. Observing his life partner, 'stirring the oatmeal of their lives' and finally, his father, Schmidt rounds off this volume on life, death, loss, love, solitude and togetherness.

Bare feet in the universal sandbox … 'a cool wind caresses my faith.'

Schmidt, with bold uncertainty, goes where he has never gone before. Skeptical, ironic, questioning, he is 'like a snake eating itself', playing hide and seek.

'Brown-feathered sprites' and the use of plain speech are regular companions to the poet and to you, the reader.

Enjoy flowing, clear, contemporary poetry.