Tender, raw, and often apocalyptic, the poems in this book—some less than a single sentence long—were written by Charlie Zacks in a period between July and October of 2025.

Charlie asked that I don’t use the word TRAUMA when describing the book. He said the word is almost meaningless now, neutered. Words sometimes fail us. In Charlie’s poems, Montreal is burning, loneliness is bitter, and death seems to be around every corner. But Charlie is hilarious, too. There’s so much humor in his work that, as a fellow writer, it almost feels unfair. This book is a perfect gem.

Charlie Zacks is a writer and editor from Atlanta, Georgia. In 2024, he founded Stimulant, an independent literary magazine based in Montréal, QC. Since then, he’s moved to Cambridge, MA where he studies theology and runs New Publishing, a contemporary publishing company he founded. He believes in all the right things and hates all the things you hate. You can reach him on his website 852002.xyz or onInstagram @earthopensup.