TR33S P3RS3V3R1NG D3SP1T3...

trees persevering despite

people's best attempts to keep

the landscape under control

C1ND3RBL0CK C0MMVN1TY...

cinderblock community

centers - volunteers building

hope in destitute shadows

S3LF-3MP0W3RM3NT THR0VGH STYL3...

self-empowerment through style

is late capitalism's

"revolutionary" trick

S1TT1NG 1N M33T1NGS (4G41N)...

sitting in meetings (again),

thinking how I used to smoke

dirtweed through empty beer cans

N0T 3N0VGH F1R3 T0D4Y 1S...

not enough fire today is

real, built from tinder scraps, to

purify away poisons

patreon con mack retro active backwards release

I have A PATREON which means you can just give me money for doing ridiculous internet shit, in real life. The two main things that are sort of attached to patronage of me is this supports the Trump/Smoky Mountain Wrestling project (finishing up month 3 and 4, slowly, begrudgingly, because politics sucks) and a Dirtgod Podcast (mostly just sat around recording frogs so it might just be frogs to be honest, which would be a pretty great podcast actually), but because people ask so often, and in fact I received a request just today about this, I've decided to start releasing back issues of my famous (and perhaps infamous) The Confederate Mack zine, working backwards, to patrons only. Issue 53 dropped tonight.

(issue 53 cover)

Cover was a picture a dude named Tommy sent me of Farmville back in the day. Contrary to the picture, this back in the day was likely the '90s, as the dude that owned the Farmville Herald drove an old ass car like that. I at one point painted the building just to right of camera shot. I also used to get drunk and high as fuck at an arcade at young tender age a block away from here. I am avoiding looking into contents of the zines too deeply because I tend to hate anything that I did longer than 7 minutes ago. It keeps me moving forward. Give to my patreon. The first podcast will be, lolol, "done" this week hopefully.

Previously dropped issue 55 in there. Not sure what happened to issue 54, or if one even existed.

(issue 55 cover)

As you can see, I was on some scribble shit in classic zine form at this point, though I didn't scribble all the Japanese characters. That was some outsider artist guy who worked in a Japanese kitchen I saw in Raw Vision magazine at the time. I am not entirely sure Issue 55 was ever even printed. I also know that I have no idea where an issue 54 might be. This is sort of the nature of my work, which I unfortunately don't get to work at like I used to, because normal people work eats up a lot of the day and energy and well fuck, you can give to the patreon or not, it is up to you.

Peace - Raven

C4M3R4 0N-H4ND 4LL T1M3S...

camera on-hand all times

more out of meditative

practice to remain peaceful

Natsu Basho 2017 Honour Tanka Final Day: KOTOYUKI (6-9)

final day Natsu 

Basho, most things decided - 

Hakuho shall win 

the final two remaining 

yokozuna were featured 

they put on great bout, 

and Hakuho secured rare 

unblemished record 

a new banzuke scroll shall 

be written, big names at top 

in those forty-two 

brush-stroked as makuuchi, 

big hearts get challenged 

this basho - for example - 

think of lame Kotoyuki 

barely able to 

walk after bouts twice in 

the past seven days 

refusing assistance down 

hanamichi afterwards 

fearing the juryo 

drop, essentially on one 

leg, he continued 

and on this single stubborn 

leg, Kotoyuki survived 

each day, hobbling self 

forward, more heart than good sense, 

Kotoyuki fought 

and somehow, he was able 

to win as many as lost 

instead of fusen 

with three wins, he finished a 

noble 6 and 9 

will this be enough to keep 

demotion demons at bay? 

the new banzuke 

scroll will be unfurled before 

long, and we’ll find out 

yet regardless where his name 

appears, his heart remains large 

Kotoyuki’s done 

all he could to keep his name 

large as possible 

the past year seen as decline - 

sekiwake spirals down 

makekoshi four 

honbasho in a row - a 

true downward spiral 

makekoshi rikishi 

don’t get fighting spirit stars 

yet there can be no 

denying Kotoyuki 

has felt spiral’s edge 

his lame leg has touched the edge, 

and he’s begun pushing back 

L1V3D 1N TH1S PL4C3 (FLVV4NN4)...

lived in this place (Fluvanna)

longer than anywhere else,

yet still feel most unsettled

P0L3 1N MY B4CKY4RD TR4NSM1TS...

pole in my backyard transmits

self-pollution sorcery
into home (and also heart)

ST4RL1NGS 4R3 TH3 SKY'S KVDZV...

starlings are the sky's kudzu,

murmurations overwhelm
biosphere beautifully

T34 P4RTY L1C3NS3 PL4T3S 0N...

tea party license plates on

an extended cab Nissan
pick-up truck full of trimbeards

C0NGR3G4T10NS 0F SM4LL F0LK...

congregations of small folk 

manufactured as simple 
plastic fuckers without thoughts

Natsu Basho 2017 Honour Tanka Day 14: TOCHINOSHIN (11-3)

Caucasus sumo 

psychological today, 

with lengthy staredowns 

Tochinoshin’s has had great 

summer basho, excelling 

with Tamawashi 

staring back, neither reaches 

down - simply staring 

Tochinoshin breaks the lock 

of alpha spirit eyeballs 

he stretches himself, 

and returns to starting pose, 

quick to plant two fists 

“fuck you Tamawashi, I’m 

ready,” mannerisms say 

Tamawashi pounds 

the sand and blasts off at side 

stepped Tochinoshin 

the Georgian henkas aside, 

and slaps Tamawashi down 

natsu basho has 

seen Tochinoshin do well - 

using brain plus brawn 

11 wins equals his 

best basho showing ever 

the man who was once 

komusubi may return 

to that destiny 

it’s a daily battle, for 

two weeks every two months 

the pyramid is 

climbed slowly, over seasons, 

whether east or west 

Tochinoshin applying 

big picture psychology 

true Caucasians are 

devious creatures, full of 

trickster deceptions 

beware their sumo presence 

(and further expansion east) 

Natsu Basho 2017 Honour Tanka Day 13: HARUMAFUJI (11-2)

as natsu basho 

has worn on, yokozuna 

slowly disappear 

first Kakuryu dropped out, 

Mongolian quick fusen 

Kisenosato 

the national hero fell 

behind in losses 

this justified withdrawal 

as two stayed undefeated 

Harumafuji 

and Hakuho stood alone 

(two days back, they did) 

day thirteen - Takayasu 

battles Harumafuji 

Takayasu’s quest 

for ozeki almost complete 

(impressively so) 

Harumafuji hoping 

to keep pace with Hakuho 

day twelve loss was his 

first negative blemish this 

basho narrative 

yokozuna and rising 

star engaged in epic fight 

Harumafuji 

looked to have Takayasu 

beaten at one point 

foot against outer rope, he 

recalibrated himself 

Harumafuji 

bull-stormed in for victory, 

only to catch air 

Takayasu pushed him down, 

leaving Hakuho alone 

Harumafuji - 

of four yokozuna, was 

next-to-last standing 

two losses with two days left… 

this basho is Hakuho’s 

the era of four 

yokozuna can’t sustain 

four yokozuna 

as there is no demotion, 

retirement rides horizon 

Harumafuji 

is the eldest of the four; 

he fights against time 

his fighting spirit remains 

strong, but we all lose to time 

L1ST3N1NG T0 0LD M3T4L...

listening to old metal

LPs in fucked up camper,

hiding from my adulthood

Natsu Basho 2017 Honour Tanka Day 12: AOIYAMA (2-10)

oh Aoiyama  

you giant Bulgarian, 

what are you doing? 

European sumo so 

pasty and flabby-breasted 

left knee heavily 

wrapped from birth it sometimes seems… 

what are you doing? 

following Kotooshu’s 

footsteps into too far east 

a perpetual 

maegashira, but also 

once sekiwake 

now nearing thirty one years, 

what are you doing, big man? 

do the blue mountains 

of Bulgaria still call? 

what of Elhovo? 

where the Tundzha river crawls 

between Strandzha and Sakar 

so far from home, here 

in this strange world of sumo, 

grappling for respect 

left knee throbs for home, big man, 

what the fuck are you doing? 

Natsu Basho 2017 Honour Tanka Day 11: ONOSHO (7-4)

Onosho the 

young buck making his debut 

in makuuchi 

his basho started strong, but 

then the pressure got at him 

born on the fourth of 

July, only 21, 

he has tightened up 

sure his bouts come earlier 

in day’s opening session 

one must remember 

he’s only just now made his 

top level debut 

on makuuchi’s other 

end from Kisenosato 

Onosho quickly 

shot up bottom six rungs of 

sumo pyramid 

after eliminating 

Ishiura - seven wins 

Onosho now poised 

for his first kachi-koshi 

in makuuchi 

congratulations, young stud - 

may your career last decades 

Natsu Basho 2017 Honour Tanka Day 10: HAKUHO (10-0)

Hakuho, despite 

young yokozuna, remains 

the master sumo 

he is different level - 

thirty-seven bashos won 

not only best now 

but best of modern era - 

few even compare 

main event day ten facing 

off one loss Takayasu 

as if in epic 

illustrations, the two locked, 

pushed, held, and maintained 

and yet Hakuho always 

seemed to have control in hand 

to beat the master

requires near perfection in 

dohyo round confines 

Hakuho’s circular stalking, 

backwards lures - unparalleled 

Takayasu proved 

strong, yet eventually 

was pushed out like child 

Japanese sumo elders 

may have Kisenosato 

but Hakuho will 

remain imposing figure 

casting long shadow 

east yokozuna number 

one should have been Hakuho 

to be listed fourth? 

even after injury? 

massive disrespect 

ten days, Harumafuji 

and Hakuho unbeaten 

but Hakuho now 

competes against history 

more than other men 

Hakuho won’t be denied; 

this basho, year, or ever 

TH4T M0TH3RFVCK1N' BVDDH4...

that motherfuckin' buddha

droppin' bezels of wisdom,

but y'all ain't even listen

MY F4V0R1T3 V1D30...

my favorite video

game's nature; Sabu won the

purple deadnettles title

SVST3N4NC3 FR0M D3TR1TVS...

sustenance from detritus -

the vulture's meditation

as psychic survival plan

freestyle sonnet #085: THE CREEPING WHITENESS

The creeping whiteness is never called out, because 

it behaves along progressive paths, attempting 

to atone for tone dead ancestors who wrote laws 

so oppressive, hoping atonement's exempting 

them from repercussions, except still this creeping 

whiteness remains supremely confident it knows 

better than lessers, those nonprogressers too sleeping 

to become woke. The unbroke whiteness makes great shows 

of solidarity with poverty class POCs, 

and even well-off POCs become assimilated 

into creeping whiteness as modern paradox 

to black-or-white perceptions thus nation-stated. 

Obvious white supremacy complemented 

by left-hand creeping whiteness just as demented. 

3ND 0F TH3 L1N3 4RR1V3D 4T...

end of the line arrived at

where the buzzing stopped and I

could become freebird again

MY PL4C3 C4N'T B3 D3V3L0P3D...

my place can't be developed -
part and parcel of larger
whole, tethered to entire thing

SH4D0WS 0N S1D3 STR33TS WH3R3 TH1NGS...

shadows on side streets where things
fall apart are where I'm most
comf-ter-ble (comfortable)

34RTHLY 1NT3RS3CT10NS 0F...

Earthly intersections of

time and space delusions make

up majority of daze

H4RD T0 R3M41N F0CVS3D WH3N...

hard to remain focused when

all the visions forced to chase

belong to other people

34CH P13C3 0F M3T4L F4SH10N3D...

each piece of metal fashioned

in separate factories -

industry’s strange symphony

TOP TEN HOKKU OF THE HOOPOE

c0pz 1n c4m0Vfl4g3
g34r3d Vp f0r 0b3d13nc3
3nf0rc3m3nt - fVll b0r3#haiku #rojonekku #acab pic.twitter.com/ye97A8jdIx

— JVST DIRT-GOD oxoxo (@rojonekku) May 11, 2017

1 r3m41n p34c3fVl
l1st3n1ng t0 h34rt - n0t br41n
p01s0n3d bY cr4ck3d skVll#haiku #rojonekku #acab pic.twitter.com/5gJf5I83K4

— JVST DIRT-GOD oxoxo (@rojonekku) May 11, 2017

p3pp3r spr4Y 3y3s1ght
g3ts bl1nd3d bY 4ngrY f1r3s
- r3tr34t t0 sh4d0wz#haiku #rojonekku #acab pic.twitter.com/UbuEMrnl7k

— JVST DIRT-GOD oxoxo (@rojonekku) May 11, 2017

4l-ghVr4b 4ll4h
- wr1t1ng j1h4d p03trY
0f 1nt3rn4l f1ght#haiku #rojonekku #acab pic.twitter.com/4MVy1RkVel

— JVST DIRT-GOD oxoxo (@rojonekku) May 11, 2017

wh1sp3r1ng dh1kr
w4lk1ng thrV sh1ttY c1tY
jVst b3f0r3 sVnr1s3#haiku #rojonekku #acab pic.twitter.com/CTx3Fz2cgE

— JVST DIRT-GOD oxoxo (@rojonekku) May 11, 2017

bVzzb0t 3l3ctr0n
4Vth0r1tY 3nf0rc3d bY
0rg4n1c r0b0tz#haiku #rojonekku #ACAB pic.twitter.com/yq8bmUJxUJ

— JVST DIRT-GOD oxoxo (@rojonekku) May 11, 2017

g0v3rnm3nt p4p3rz
n3v3r 1n 0rd3r fVllY
- f00l 0Vtt4 c0ntr0l#haiku #rojonekku #ACAB pic.twitter.com/QUd9IPOyQO

— JVST DIRT-GOD oxoxo (@rojonekku) May 11, 2017

fr33 sp33ch z0n3 b4rb3d w1r3
str3tch3d 4r0Vnd p3r1m3t3r
0f psYch1c s4f3 sp4c3#haiku #rojonekku #ACAB pic.twitter.com/beb72VUuIC

— JVST DIRT-GOD oxoxo (@rojonekku) May 11, 2017

n3v3r sp34k y0Vr trVth
1nt0 0p3n s0Vrc3 m41nfr4m3
- t00 m4nY b4ck d00rz#haiku #rojonekku #ACAB#FYIFYFMF pic.twitter.com/pqw4iWI7dy

— JVST DIRT-GOD oxoxo (@rojonekku) May 11, 2017

r3s1st 1n r34l l1f3
- s0w d1ss3nt; w4tch 1t bl0ss0m
b3n34th kn0wn sVrf4c3#haiku #rojonekku #ACAB#FYIFYFMF pic.twitter.com/AxbX1Plkuo

— JVST DIRT-GOD oxoxo (@rojonekku) May 11, 2017

#1: c0pz 1n c4m0Vfl4g3/g34r3d Vp f0r 0b3d13nc3/3nf0rc3m3nt - fVll b0r3

#2: 1 r3m41n p34c3fVl/l1st3n1ng t0 h34rt - n0t br41n/p01s0n3d bY cr4ck3d skVll

#3: p3pp3r spr4Y 3y3s1ght/g3ts bl1nd3d bY 4ngrY f1r3s/- r3tr34t t0 sh4d0wz

#4: 4l-ghVr4b 4ll4h/- wr1t1ng j1h4d p03trY/0f 1nt3rn4l f1ght

#5: wh1sp3r1ng dh1kr/w4lk1ng thrV sh1ttY c1tY/jVst b3f0r3 sVnr1s3

#6: bVzzb0t 3l3ctr0n/4Vth0r1tY 3nf0rc3d bY/0rg4n1c r0b0tz

#7: g0v3rnm3nt p4p3rz/n3v3r 1n 0rd3r fVllY/- f00l 0Vtt4 c0ntr0l

#8: fr33 sp33ch z0n3 b4rb3d w1r3/str3tch3d 4r0Vnd p3r1m3t3r/0f psYch1c s4f3 sp4c3

#9: n3v3r sp34k y0Vr trVth/1nt0 0p3n s0Vrc3 m41nfr4m3/- t00 m4nY b4ck d00rz

#10: r3s1st 1n r34l l1f3/- s0w d1ss3nt; w4tch 1t bl0ss0m/b3n34th kn0wn sVrf4c3