Anthony Liccione (b. October 9, 1968) emerged from hardship, raised in a broken family, moving among homes and even living in his car during his teenage years, yet found solace in writing. His journey as poet and author reflects that struggle: his journals grew into published volumes such as Back Words and Forward, Please Pass Me the Blood & Butter, Wolf Down, and Symmetry. His poems appear in many literary journals. He now balances life in Texas, service in the Army National Guard, and raising two children. His work inspires through unflinching honesty, about loss, suffering, resilience and shows how art can give voice to shadows and turn survival into strength.
"A colorful body with fabrics, tattoos and jewelry is attractive, but a colorful heart with love, truth and faith is beautiful."
"She sheltered her colors in the dark, where others were blind to see; I caught a glimpse of her lastly when she gave me a chance, before disappearing into the day. There was beauty locked in her that unfolded like an umbrella's claw, her true self that desired compassion, trust, protection and the potential to soar. But I missed to late, that what I wasn't looking for, when she left her reasons in the rain."
"There is no pride when it comes to survival, only determination."
"Distrust is like a vicious fire that keeps going and going, even put out, it will reignite itself, devouring the good with the bad, and still feeding on empty."
"It all starts with you, and that which never starts, also finishes with you."
"As dogs return to their vomit, some men return to their wives."
"Manny has swung with many men, but many men never seen Manny's blissful swing."
"Nowadays, a simple faulty brake light traffic stop, can get a black person killed. It's better to fix the broken light bulb, then having to face and cooperate with a senseless police officer."
"Knowing to do the right thing, but playing stupid to oblige to it, is still lying."
"When a blind man says, 'God is good,' this should be an eye-opener to those who can see."
"If you are reading this, be sure to count this on your blessings list."
"Confidence, is like a belt worn around the waist. Wear it too tight, you come off cocky and arrogant, wear it too loose, you come off timid and a walk over, but wear it fit and snug, it will uphold you in every step of the way."
"They were shiny, shiny people that were bright like light bulbs, but there I stood out like a sore thumb, my dimness flickering self, and they saw it and removed themselves from me, forming their circle of light. Until the night died, they never noticed when the sun broke open its skull of rays, where I laid by the stop sign."
"If you choose to walk through the fire, why do you complain it's hot?"
"Poverty is like a crumb that sits at a table, and starves itself to death."
"It seems when Opportunity knocks, Fate shows up to open the door."
"As a king can wear a crown, a crown can also weary a king."
"You can't lift a relationship up if you keep walking over the other person's mistakes."
"Most people die, living their life paycheck to paycheck,trying to stretch out each dollar, as like a roll of toilet paper. Toiling each tissue, never quite wiping away all the shit from their asses, where the world always takes what little they flush, back into its deprived system, always hungry."
"If something bad smells in the basement, it will eventually make its way to the attic."
"Love has no fear, willing to take on anyone. But how much we fear love!"
"Sometimes we need to see the bad side, to appreciate the good side."
"If nothing lasts forever, then I am forever nothing."