BEN SZWEDIUK

Ben Szwediuk's kinship with poetry began at an early age when his parents enrolled him in speech classes in his native Wales.  During this period he was drawn to the works of Spike Milligan and Edgar Allan Poe. This affinity waned during his teens years until he developed an interest in music and the lyricism of the likes of the late Richey Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers, and Morrissey of The Smiths. Their work led him to revolutionary socialist poetry and decadent nineteenth century writers respectively.

While studying for an MA in Film Studies at the International Film School Wales, he discovered many parallels between the art of cinema and poetry, and has since explored the transcendent principles consistent within both.

Currently working as a freelance writer and journalist in cinema and sport; he writes feature articles, reviews and blogs for a broad range of on and offline publications, as well as maintaining a personal blog. Ben produces and presents the most popular independent Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) podcast in the UK, called "Sweep the Leg", and he is currently working on the screenplay for his first feature film.

Ben Szwediuk's film and sports blog is available at Duke Media and the entirely free MMA podcast can be streamed and downloaded at Screen-One. Ben Twitters at @dukemedia_uk

Baby's Blood

His goddess bathes in her baby’s blood;
oh, how purified she feels!
Washing away guilt and age,
her flawless vessel is ensured.

Thinner than the brightest stars-
23 inches- popularity retained.
Inglorious infanticide’s refuge
from cold judgments of the world.
Coward hunched ‘neath taboo’s shawl
and gilded by a mother’s crocodile tears.

Lines of love and worry slowly evaporate
as her bastard starves to eruption,
and before her stunning emerald eyes.
A chalice held to perfect thighs,
the red river of her iniquity flowing feely.
The nectar sates her thirst (for now),
until those haunted dreams, where pale white hands
are never clean.

His goddess bathes in baby’s blood;
oh, the purity she feels!
Until the broken painting
releases her monstrosity,
and her hands are finally clean.