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.
"To express open creativity, you first need to create your own space of seclusion."
"Death is like that, it blinks, we blink; not always able to see the Stop signs, hiding behind trees in the corner of the roads."
"Nothing like being in a dream, then waking up to a nightmare."
"A friend is the wax that keeps the flame lit, an enemy is the wind that blows it out."
"Worrying is like a dominoes effect, that rolls from one day into the next, into a week, a month, a year;never accomplishing anything but stress, until it hits that last tile, which drops unfulfilled to an empty ground."
"Thoughts are like an open ocean, they can either move you forward within its waves, or sink you under deep into its abyss."
"Love can either be your greatest companion or your worst enemy, depending on your pride to accept or deny things."
"If coffee were like dreams, then I would be wired in constant bliss, never needing sleep to live out my dreams."
"It's useless to paint a closed door, in order to change its color. The door needs to be open for both sides to change as same."
"When a fat person goes in the water naked, would it still be called skinny-dipping?"
"A cynical modification of letting go doesn't bring forgiveness, it's when, once you forgive, will you be able to let go."
"If you're not content with the small things, then you won't be content with the big things."
"It's not love at first sight, it's having the sight, to distinguish true love, from just mere beauty."
"People are complaining of having rags and not riches, but I find it a blessing just to have rags, to wipe away the dirt and dust that may come in the course of life."
"Unconditional love, is love, regardless anything; attainable or impossible."
"The lonely people have taught me, that I am not alone."
"ESPN, is having the ability to foretell future outcomes in sports."
"Life is like a lit cigarette. The past is ashes, the present is burning, and the future is up in smoke. Fast as a breath; inhale exhale."
"These days, it's better to look poor and be safe, than look rich and be a victim."
"It's the giving that makes one stronger, but sometimes the taking can make one weaker, if even vulnerable or blinding."
"I guess it's better to have a chalk smile, than an ink smile. Where chalk changes with the direction of wind, ink stays as a deep stain. Like rain, sun and hail against a fake plant."
"You may not be able to change the world for the better, but the world is able to change you for the worst, don't give them the rock you stand on."