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The Teeth Of The World Are Sharp: a haunting collection of art & poetry
SHE ESCAPED HEAVEN TO BE WITH ME IN HELL The Teeth Of The World Are Sharp is the new collection of dark art and poetry by A.X. Salvo inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, Neil Gaiman and the horror manga of Junji Ito. In this second collection of poems, Salvo blends elements of dark fantasy, myth, and horror to deliver a brutally emotional experience. The Teeth Of The World Are Sharp explores trauma, abuse, death, grief, and loss. Each poem is carefully illustrated with haunting black and white drawings. Images born from dreams and pain that will stay with you long after the last page. A.X. Salvo's writings and art have appeared in USA Today, MISC, Studio Visit Magazine, Bete Noir, The Adroit Journal, and The Anthologist. Salvo is also the recipient of a Vermont Studio Center grant for Poetry.
- GenresPoetry
112 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2020
8 people are currently reading
214 people want to read
About the author
A.X. Salvo
16 books22 followersA.X. Salvo's writings and art have appeared in USA Today, MISC, Studio Visit Magazine, Bete Noir, The Adroit Journal, and The Anthologist. Salvo is also the recipient of a Vermont Studio Center grant for Poetry.
Read what people have said about Salvo's collection of dark love poetry, The Muse of Love and Pain:
"Visually intoxicating, the imagery is vivid and tastefully off-kilter."
"The poet writes about passion so vividly that you feel his pain with every word. I highly recommend this collection!"
"Touching...I love how each poem reveals different emotions and journeys that I found myself forgetting where I was at that moment."
"The characters are dark, yet devoted; destructive, yet alive and passionate."
"In 'The Muse of Love and Pain', we are swept away into a dark, intimate journey of the search for the meaning and redemption in the very thing that haunts, torments and, for those willing to surrender entirely to it, consumes us all."
"A leap into the complex subconscious depths of our being..."
Love isn't just about euphoria; it can be angry, mad, destructive - even tragic. It involves every dimension of our being in infinite ways and degrees. We are attached to love because love is attached to everything. Blurring the lines of poetry and fiction, this blend of gothic verse and fable is an ode to anyone who has traveled through the darkest roads and deepest waters to find love.
This debut introduces readers to A.X. Salvo's strange collection of the most delicious elements of fantasy, horror and romance. We follow a familiar thread of near unrequited love. But this particular love is about an extraordinary being. In "The Intangible" she is a mourning mother, in "Harlequin" a lost lover, she is then reborn as a goddess with astounding power in the epic poem "The Muse of Love and Pain".
Salvo's influences range from the classical poets Milton, Poe, Keats, and Dickinson to contemporary writers Plath, Bukowski, Gaiman, and Anne Rice. He finds inspiration in surrealism and the works of artists such as Dali and Man Ray as well as graphic novelists James O' Barr (creator of "The Crow") and David Mack (creator of the "Kabuki" series).
Read what people have said about Salvo's collection of dark love poetry, The Muse of Love and Pain:
"Visually intoxicating, the imagery is vivid and tastefully off-kilter."
"The poet writes about passion so vividly that you feel his pain with every word. I highly recommend this collection!"
"Touching...I love how each poem reveals different emotions and journeys that I found myself forgetting where I was at that moment."
"The characters are dark, yet devoted; destructive, yet alive and passionate."
"In 'The Muse of Love and Pain', we are swept away into a dark, intimate journey of the search for the meaning and redemption in the very thing that haunts, torments and, for those willing to surrender entirely to it, consumes us all."
"A leap into the complex subconscious depths of our being..."
Love isn't just about euphoria; it can be angry, mad, destructive - even tragic. It involves every dimension of our being in infinite ways and degrees. We are attached to love because love is attached to everything. Blurring the lines of poetry and fiction, this blend of gothic verse and fable is an ode to anyone who has traveled through the darkest roads and deepest waters to find love.
This debut introduces readers to A.X. Salvo's strange collection of the most delicious elements of fantasy, horror and romance. We follow a familiar thread of near unrequited love. But this particular love is about an extraordinary being. In "The Intangible" she is a mourning mother, in "Harlequin" a lost lover, she is then reborn as a goddess with astounding power in the epic poem "The Muse of Love and Pain".
Salvo's influences range from the classical poets Milton, Poe, Keats, and Dickinson to contemporary writers Plath, Bukowski, Gaiman, and Anne Rice. He finds inspiration in surrealism and the works of artists such as Dali and Man Ray as well as graphic novelists James O' Barr (creator of "The Crow") and David Mack (creator of the "Kabuki" series).
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 29, 2025
Somewhat enticing but mostly without bite.
A collection of genuine contemporary poetry that captures something of the romantic and gothic, but failed to excite me rhythmically or lyrically. I appreciated the accompanying art and the overall atmosphere, and while a handful of lines and a couple of stanzas really worked for me, I did not find a whole poem that particularly resonated with my tastes. The language was vivid but the rhythm did not quite excite me.
"The earth around us is wet
(Was it rain...)"
2 Stanz-AGHS out of 5
📝📝.5⬛⬛⬛
A collection of genuine contemporary poetry that captures something of the romantic and gothic, but failed to excite me rhythmically or lyrically. I appreciated the accompanying art and the overall atmosphere, and while a handful of lines and a couple of stanzas really worked for me, I did not find a whole poem that particularly resonated with my tastes. The language was vivid but the rhythm did not quite excite me.
"The earth around us is wet
(Was it rain...)"
2 Stanz-AGHS out of 5
📝📝.5⬛⬛⬛
July 18, 2024
A haunting collection that is tinted with religious allusions. I live for others with religious trauma and adore when it can be utilized in such a therapeutic way.
It also must be said that Hush was one of the most brutally honest poems I have read. It painstakingly traverses the depths of grief and what one would give for a different outcome.
It also must be said that Hush was one of the most brutally honest poems I have read. It painstakingly traverses the depths of grief and what one would give for a different outcome.
August 20, 2020
My favorite is Gown. Just seeing the list of inspirations at the end was a list of all the music, film, and art I love.
March 13, 2023
SO good I read it in one sitting. The imagery and writing style just blew me away
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews