Brutal Promotions' Kahna Is Houston's Most Metal Unknown Poet

Back in October of 2011, I was chasing the story of promoter Mike Kelley, who once seemed like a bright hope for a rejuvenated live goth music scene in Houston, but instead ended up leaving a trail of disappointed bands and concertgoers behind him. But in the course of my research, I made the acquaintance of Kahna of Brutal Promotions, who has been bringing dark rock and hard metal to Houston since 2008. Like most people in the music scene, I friended her on Facebook as a means to keep tabs on any news that might make a good story.

As a promoter, Kahna is a consummate professional, and maintains a small but extremely dedicated following that makes her a one of the surer bets in town. You want someone to tear up a stage in black leather; give her a call. That's not an aspect of her we're celebrating today, though. It's the fact that she is a completely unheralded poetic genius.

Kahna muses about politics and metal on her Facebook page, but she does so in these bizarre, unintentional quatrains and other forms of verse that turn basic sentiments into honest-to-God-of-Thunder poetry. She's like e e cummings meets Nick Cave, at once utterly defiant of convention but still anchoring her thoughts to universal emotions. Well, universal if you like metal, that is.

Over the course of the last several months of noticing these gems I've occasionally suggested that Kahna begin looking for forums to get her poetry, which she assures me is accidental, out into the world. Since she's declined, I've taken it upon myself to introduce you to my favorites among her profane yet profound poems.

1. Drain Your Mind

drain your mind

of all negativity

choke it the fuck

out and refill it

with music

and madness

2. At My Gun Shop

can't believe i'm fucking sitting

at my gun shop waiting for that

fucktard to hand down some

new declaration of gun control.

time for a revolution.

3. Music

music, MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!

no matter how you listen,

stay tuned in, turned on

and turned the fuck up

4. "The Mysteries That Bind the Flesh"

one of my favorite songs

in the entire fucking world

by one of my favorite bands.

The mysteries that bind the flesh

5. The Man I Love

the man I love

pulled a loaded

gun on me today.

I am alright, and

so is he. this is my

solemn vow to never

fucking trust again.

6. Music is Healing

let what has been

fucking be and strive

for a better now.

music is healing,

so are friends and

family.

• Metalocalypse