The Persian Government

by Tyler Dirks

Imagine if the Iranian government chose to lavishly finance the work of Christian orphanages. Imagine if Ali Hosseini Khamenei (علی حسینی خامنه‌ای) said, “Let all the expenses of Christian orphanages be paid from the royal treasury of Iran!” And imagine if Ali Hosseini Khamenei said, “Moreover, our military will aim all of their might at […]

“Boreas” by The Oh Hellos (from Boreas)

by Tyler Dirks

With my back on the floorCold linoleum icing my growing painsWatch the ceiling fan turn its shape againMy threads are coming looseYeah, I’m one spoon awayFrom setting the ends of my hair on fireIf I’m kindling for a little whileAt least I’d feel of use Maybe then my breath could embodyA wildfire startingI’d sweep up […]

“Rose” by The Oh Hellos (from Boreas)

by Tyler Dirks

Wars are raising for herCrusades to adore herThe light of your afterword Are you losing her true natureWhen you loosen nomenclatureWhen you gift another moniker? What’s true is like a sickleIt’ll cut you to the middleYour rose is without a thorn But no, my mouth don’t taste of metalFrom the pot here to the kettleI […]

Mercy

by Tyler Dirks

The prophet Habakkuk & the author Flannery ‘O Connor have a lot in common… They were both deeply distraught about the tartufferie of God’s people. Violently they cried out against the violence of the sanctimonious societies surrounding them. They pummeled God with questions. Questions like, “How long shall you make me see consumeristic corruption in […]

Subversively Living With The Philistines

by Tyler Dirks

In my morning meeting with The Boss He said, “A bunch of stouthearted fellows came to help David when he was subversively living with the Philistines! These guys had faces of lions, and they were swift as gazelles upon the mountains. There were even 3,000 dudes from the tribe of Benjamin who defected from Saul’s […]