My life has been guided by the stars – the ocean – the light falling through trees. I have been on the Central Coast of California for 48 years. I’m a retired landscaper from San Luis Coastal Unified School District

 Kevin Patrick Sullivan’s books include, First Sight, The Space Between Things, Under Such Brilliance and Unimpaired. His poems have appeared in such journals as, Artlife, Askew, Solo, Solo Novo, Cafe Solo, Hummingbird, Lummox, Miramar ,Salt, Impspired and several anthologies including, Between The Lines ( 2000 & 2001), Solo Café 3 (2008), Sometimes In The Open- Poems From California’s Poets Laureate (2009), The Second Genesis (2014), 1001 Nights -Twenty years of Redondo Poets at the Coffee Cartel 1998 – 2017, Last Call Chinaski! (2020), OMNIBUS (2022), and Corners of the Mouth a Celebration of Thirty Years at the Annual San Luis Obispo Poetry Festival (2014)

He was the Principle editor of  SOLO CAFÉ (2001 & 2002), the anthology, Corners of the Mouth-A Celebration of Thirty Years at the Annual San Luis Obispo Poetry Festival.

He was declared a “cultural asset” by the City Council of San Luis Obispo in 2001.
He is a Poet Laureate Emeritus (2003) of  the City of San Luis Obispo.

In 1984 he co-founded and continues to curate the Annual San Luis Obispo Poetry Festival. In 1993 he became sole Artistic Director.

 In1984 he co-Founded the Corners of the Mouth and became sole Artistic Director in 1986 and curated that series for its 35 year run at Linnaea’s Café.

Let Us No Longer Bear the Arms of War

That low moan beneath the wind  
all the ghost voices you ever trampled on 
this same blue sky that covers us all
the waves crashing the same on every shore

All the ghost voices you ever trampled on
Chain your mind to your heart
The waves crashing the same on every shore
Let us no longer dance upon the dead

Chain you mind to your heart
Let our bodies do the work of love
Let us no longer dance upon the dead
Let us no longer bear the arms of war

Chain your mind to your heart
This same blue sky that covers us all
Let us no longer bear the arms of war
That low moan beneath the wind

A Thin Blue Line

Red --- bright red against the clouds
a cardinal sits high
wavering with the wind
Such a thin blue line
circles the top of the world

**previously published in  FIRST SIGHT, ARTLIFE, and SLO Review**