The Truth
Nicolas Hornyak, or “Brother Nico” at the first mention of a poem, is a queer, Nuyorican artist who divides his seasons between poetry, fiction, games, and song.
Emerging in spring, his poetry explores queer existence in opposition to modern masculinity, and his heritage in the face of assimilation. Interweaving fantasy with contemporary life, his work searches for answers in the conflict between queer expression, societal expectations, and primal humanity. After spring, Nico is also a novelist, musician, and game designer.
Italics Mine - Issue 12.2
Italics Mine showcases the new, creative literary voices of Purchase College students--majors and non-majors alike--through print and web. The diversity of the student population is reflected in the pieces they strive to share with the entire college community.
"Ice" by Nicolas Hornyak
I.
I gave a great big yawn once and hooked the scent of winter
Burning past my nostrils, cold air impacting like a nor’easter.
February should not smell like anything, but it smells like the promise of June
And the dirt beneath the snow, a sprout which wants nothing more soon
Than to emerge, brushing against the soil with a wayward caress
Screaming “I am normal. I am normal.” Because it’s more a grasp
To bring about the imagination and let the taste run to the back
Of your throat and up the windpipe to your nose; we’re under attack.
II.
I wonder if piercings have ever taken away a bit of a person’s sense of smell.
A better thought is probably what it costs to get into hell—
Or purgatory, rather. I’m pretty sure I’ll spend time there with the family.
Mother said so. Mom is a witch, but to be fair, only sparingly.
New York's Best Emerging Poets
In New York, history comes alive. The cascading waters of Niagara Falls and the verdant Catskill Mountains exemplify nature’s beauty, while the bustling metropolis of New York City pulsates with the hopes and dreams of eight million residents. In the Empire State, poets have the world in their hands.
And in New York's Best Emerging Poets, 180 up-and-coming poets have the chance to share their own worlds. Covering a wide array of topics ranging from love and heartbreak, family and friendship, the inherent beauty of nature, and so much more, these young talents will amaze you. Containing one poem per poet, this anthology is a compelling introduction to the great wordsmiths of tomorrow.
"Child" by Nicolas Hornyak
Child,
never forget that you call out
to your grandfather
“Papa!”
when you see him after
your flight at the airport.
Later on, you enter his house
and Dad takes a fresh cookie
and Mom finds the mini-fridge
stocked with her favorite drink
and you stare at your brother.
The both of you just stare.
Shepherding Butterflies to the Land of the Dead
Half-zine and half-chapbook, Shepherding Butterflies to the Land of the Dead is the debut poetry collection by Nicolas Hornyak, commonly known as Brother Nico among poets in the greater NYC/NJ region. Encompassing his set from Jersey City's Poetry in the Park series, Nico builds a coming-of-age journey between the lines and stanzas in this set of 15 poems. It is free to all who wish to enjoy his poetry.
"Io" by Nicolas Hornyak
I scribbled this on your back while you lost
your sense of touch, and gravity took me in
the meantime, cleaving me apart like a shirt
you put on backwards once before ripping it.
That’s the dance we do, like lovers snatched
by the talons of an eagle or celestials trapped
in another’s orbit. I catch this in the middle,
and I am blood or gas. You can never tell me
apart from the volcano. You do not catch this.