Worlds of Nothing

"...Home is a space
in your pleural
cavity the size of
a fatted apple ready
to be plucked and
devoured.

Rest your heart on
these stones. Feel them
cold and
secure.

And then pick up
your bags and
keep walking."

Worlds of Nothing is a conceptual exploration of home, told from the perspective of a world-weary traveler seeking the familiar in far-flung places. But as the old adage goes, "everywhere you go, there you are." It speaks to the tender, fearful part of the human soul that is driven to escape even perfect situations– but also the unbound part of our hearts that sings to soar, to see beyond, to be free.

J Conrad Lucas is a writer and naturalist from the western slope of the vast Rocky Mountains. Before writing professionally, he worked as a biologist for the US Forest Service and National Park Service across the West, where he learned to call each thing by its right and true name. He has written for several outdoor travel publications, producing guides to natural landscapes around the world. Worlds of Nothing is his second collection of poems, following the 2022 publication of ᛃ (Jera). He currently resides in his hometown, Salt Lake City, Utah.