Smoked Out Musings #1
Art by Strangford
This week I decided to try something new and a little bit different in the midst of Mercury Retrograde. I’m pretty damn high right now, and I decided to review my experience up here. Similar to live-tweeting. This is the first smoked-out musing a la Literary Loud. Let me know in the comments if you’d want to see more of these in the future. All of my other newsletters have been written in a sober state of mind.
I just smoked a decent-sized bowl out of my small greenish/blue pipe and I’m high HIGH. This girl at the dispensary recommended a few different brands, specifically 3C Farms, which was new to me, but they had intriguing names such as Sasquatch, Clockwork Elves, Club 33 OG, Majestic 33, and Anunnaki. I don’t feel like revealing which one I’m smoking at the moment, but if you know me, it’s probably not hard to guess. They had me hook, line, reel, and sinker with these esoteric names. Great branding.
I feel powerful, I feel clocked into the universe, tapped into a psychic sleeve of bliss running through my bloodstream. This is a phenomenal high. My fingers tap the keys of my keyboard with such precision and grace, but are somewhat weighty instruments.
I’ve been reflecting this week, going inward, reviewing/revising short stories, and focusing on resting. Listening to my body speak its own language. I’m back on that Ashwagandha, but it’s a nocturnal assassin. I mixed the powder into my juice a few mornings ago and passed out on the couch, despite getting an ample amount of sleep the night prior.
I wonder if my ancestors felt like this? Do I even have ancestors who smoked marijuana, peyote, or ate mushrooms sprouting from the earth, dripping with hallucinogenic properties? You should watch Fantastic Fungi if you haven’t already. It’s stunning to watch while being high or completely sober.
Some time has passed and my skull feels heavy, my facial muscles more weighted, but I can feel the tips of my hair—thrumming. A slight electric spark on the end of each strand.
I need to tell the girl at the weed shop she was right—this. weed hits. Sometimes you can’t trust budtenders. Their taste might be trash, they could be a lightweight or possibly trying to get a tip. But I believe in giving people their flowers (double entendre, don’t ask me how) iykyk. But now I know I can’ trust her tastebuds, and there could be other exciting weed trips on the horizon.
I’ve entered an interesting pocket of my high. I was jarred by this image above illustrated by RENGA inc and I felt like this could happen to me. I could very well tear the soft flesh of my head into a neat part that would reveal these denizens hiding inside the folds of my cranium or maybe the folds of my skull, but now I’m back down to earth and firm in the knowledge that this is impossible.
“We are an impossibility in an impossible universe.” – Ray Bradbury
That’s the working cover for my short story collection The Hum of the World & Other Short Stories, formally known as Project Hum here, slated for 2023 via Nictitating Books (That felt like a crazy dramatic reveal). Art by Don Noble—the same man who illustrated God’s Leftovers. I actually bought the cover here sometime last year before I even had a publisher for the project, so I like to think I manifested this into being.
This will be a combination of horror and weird fiction, and my first short story collection ever. A lot of these are previously published stories from the last 12 years and there will be some juicy unpublished pieces as well. Think of these as literary tapas followed by a full course meal meant to show my range. Anyway, I’m excited for this to drop.
On the writing front, I’m turning in Project Hum this weekend which will clear up some space on my plate and give me some breathing room. I plan to direct a lot more focus towards Project Bullet Baby and getting a draft together for beta readers. I had a cool idea pop into my head while browsing the internet. It’ll make the book a couple shades more strange in a good way. So I’m excited. And I’ll be chipping away at prequels, sequels, and everything in between.
Reviews for God’s Leftovers are still pretty good even though it has been too gruesome for some people (understandable though). Check this one out below. They get it.
Currently Watching: Moon Knight & Ozark Season 1 & House of the Dragon Season 1 & Atlanta Season 4
The first two episodes of the new season of Atlanta are surreal and amazing…
Currently Reading: Ill Behavior by M. Steven S. & Berserk by Kentaro Miura & God Damn Chainsaw Murderer by Sean M. Thompson & Nudes by Elle Nash & Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto
Currently Smoking: 3C Farms
Currently Listening to: Black Tapes Podcast & The Danny Brown Podcast
Protect EEM Triplin at all costs. The bold color scheme, the sincerity, the promotion of safe sex, the umbrella…probably one of my favorite music videos in 2022.
Tyga’s music run post Kylie Jenner is pretty impressive. He hit a musical slouch some years back, but seems to be reinvigorated as of late. He sticks to the same visual formula, nice weather, half-naked women, twerking, and flexing, but it works.
“I’m in the jungle like Axl Rose”
“My mind chews like Rottweiler…”
Open Mike Eagle spits some nice bars over this Diamond D laced single “I’ll Fight You.” Real hip hop.
“Livin like a price on my head…”
It’s song like this that make me wish someone would take Meek Mill’s twitter away from him. He vents passionately and sounds reinvigorated on “Early Mornings.”
Until next time…
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