{#HookedOnPoetry} Alicia Hilton Presents…’New Beginnings’, ‘Insomnia, My Ugly Twin’ & ‘April’

#HookedOnPoetry: Featuring ‘New Beginnings’, ‘Insomnia, My Ugly Twin’ & April’ By Alicia Hilton

I hope you’re enjoying this week’s set of poetry so far from the #HookedOnPoetry project. You can find yesterday’s feature over at Oh, for the Hook of a Book. We will have three or four poetry features this week and the project is still set to continue for many more weeks.

Today I want to present to you someone that is new to me as well. I recently mutually friended the author Alicia Hilton, and when I put a call out for poetry for this project, Alicia submitted some of her previously published work so I (and you) could get a taste of her poetic arts. Everyone writes poetry differently and in their own style. Alicia’s seem a bit like screenshot of moments in time (or space), instantly flinging you into her character’s lives. I really love the science fiction horror aspect of her work. I’m curious to read more from her – maybe you will be too.

Enjoy!

Erin Al-Mehairi

New Beginnings

Originally Published in Dreams & Nightmares
by Alicia Hilton

fresh
she watched a centipede squirm
in the rooster’s beak

bloated
wishing she’d never bought
breast implants

curdled
finding the breast pump
after her diagnosis

ripe
the robot carved
tumors from her chest

malignant
the postman brought
another hospital bill

bartered
she traded her body
for immortality

putty
the artist molded
her face

ether
the scientist uploaded
her consciousness

reboot
the androids have
her smile

Insomnia, My Ugly Twin

Originally Published in Neon
By Alicia Hilton

She has six cuts on her abdomen
and pelvis.
It was smooth before
the pod people came
with their one-eyed snake.
Snip snip snip snip snip
SNIP.
Nasty beast always
hungry.
Sucked out the life seeds.
Left behind the sad gas.
Full and empty.

Insomnia, my ugly twin,
every night enters my bedroom.
If I lock the door
she tap dances on the roof.
Grabs me by the hand
hot not sexy hot.
Skin like the Sahara.
Molten to the core fry
eggs on it.
But her smile
makes me shiver.

Come
dance with me.
Her shadow beckons
diaphanous.
Flickering on and off
my consciousness.
Climb to the roof.
Howl
and scream.

April

Originally Published in J Journal
By Alicia Hilton

I trudged up the hill.
Too cold to leave
The jacket at home.
The sun lit
Chaste white faces of
Spotted toad lilies.
The rose-breasted grosbeak
Warbled his joy.

Up over the dew-crusted hill,
At the end of the manicured glade.
349 feet from her new
Lemon yellow VW Bug.
Beneath the bobbing heads of her
Purple flowering garlic.
Last week,
My neighbor hid a secret.
I’ll bet he wished
He’d never bought her
The shovel.

I should have known
Something was wrong
When she smiled at me.
Garlic smells musky,
Not like rotting meat.
April was wearing
Red and black spotted boots.
Like the wings of a ladybug.

Alicia Hilton

Alicia Hilton is an author, law professor, arbitrator, actor, and former FBI Special Agent. She believes in angels and demons, magic and monsters. Alicia’s recent work has appeared or is forthcoming in Akashic Books, Bronzeville Books, Daily Science Fiction, Demain Publishing UK, Dreams & Nightmares, Vastarien, Year’s Best Hardcore Horror Volumes 4 & 5, and elsewhere. Alicia is a member of the Science Fiction Poetry Association. Find her website at http://www.aliciahilton.com. Follow her on Twitter @aliciahilton01.

Moonlight, Gunshot, Mallet, Flame

Writing about her Short Sharp Shocks! author Alicia Hilton said: “These are stories about dangerous women who confront supernatural forces. When the moon is full passion simmers and demons strike. Who will survive? ” Of MOONLIGHT, GUNSHOT, MALLET, FLAME, Alicia summed up her tale, thus: “Laura is a hitwoman who murdered men to avenge and protect innocent victims, but her violent past catches up to her after she kills her nephew.  Are Laura’s terrifying visions hallucinations, or real? “ And of her second story, A LITTLE DEATH: “An Internet date unites two monsters. Descended from flesh-eating witches, Darla must choose whether to embrace her magical powers and kill, or risk her own destruction for love.”

You can buy Moonlight, Gunshot, Mallet, Flame from Amazon UK & Amazon US