-- I cant see the horizon through the
trees
he shoved me from behind -- Shaddup n walk!
the blunt nose of his revolver banging
my backbone black and blue
No sweat huh Soon you aint seein nuthin
these were old growth trees
dense
not me
dimly it occurred to me maybe the
woods might take a bullet for me
one bullet might buy me just enough
outside fifteen feet hed be lucky to
hit me through the vertical blinds
why worry the horizon
inside the car trunk I was aware we rode
uphill
what goes up must come down
and we were still walking uphill
and we were still walking uphill
thump! another welt rising on bone
a big bore
he might be able to shoot through a
tree
underfoot little tangle
-- I cant see the hori . .
-- Ya said
lay it on dumb luck
all in the timing
as he jabbed again I made a football spin
as he jabbed again I made a football spin
brought a heavy elbow to his temple
broken field run downhill
physics pulling me
slicing sidewise between spaces in
trees
my face whipped by boughs and naked
fingerlings
BLAM! sounded bigger than the explosion of splintering wood
behind me
Im still intact
churning
hurtling
praying the woods might take two
MUTHAFUCKER! bigger than the BLAM!
never send an oaf to do an elfs job
suddenly airborne
falling
not too far
keepin balance
soft earth landin
cut road
downhill
off road
MUTHAFUCKER!
gaining ground
big forest
he aint no bloodhound
aint either of us going home
legs and lungs are screamin
letem scream
letem bitch n bellyache
means were alive n afire
somewhere high above me a car engine
starts coughs ought to do something about that
coughs sputters stalls really ought to have done something about that
coughs sputters stalls really ought to have done something about that
MUTHAFUCKER!
HA! sucks not to be me
lactic acid fire
a snatch of a cramp in my ham
Drop
talkin to myself
Ill listen to me
I drop
spittle runs spiderwebs across my face
hawk up a chunk of lung
spit
suck air
first time I glance over my shoulder
trees
I cant see the horizon for trees
thinkin
slow
heart
thinkin
slow
breath
buyin time
slow it all d o
w
n
slowin
gobble up a look from where I am
no track
fat man aint no Daniel Boone
fat man would make plenty of noise as
he came
I hoped the car croaked
with him piggybacking another human
being of fat I liked my odds more and more
craaaank
dead car
talley
he dont walk out
one dead urban oaf
maybe a dead black and blue backbone
water
a bladder of piss
hold it
canteen
wont get snagged in the trees and
brush
Up!
yeah me
bossy muthafucker
or so Im reminded
up
ham aint tight
sore
Go!
feel a disembodied finger at my spine
ready to dig out a mewling vertebra
were going
if it aint as long a walk as I
think it is Ill poach him
Shaddup
Enough
yah
okay
focus
walk
deliberate
quiet
listen
birds roosting
night soon
fingers crossed I cross the road
switchbacks
lots
sudden bench
green
sunset
horizon smiles
There you are
smiles bigger
I smile
Nice to see ya again
between the benchs toes
road
black ribbon and a bow
2131, Thursday,
13 12. 12
