Manh he exhaled

they walked outside onto a porch through a sliding glass door 

the moon was huge

its light brilliant

it threw its light on them like a spotlight

bitchslapping their numb shadows across the porch against its railing and over into a stand of birch saplings as easily as the late afternoons sun had

the heat clinging to them from inside the house simmered off them like a heavy scent

---   Ah Manh this is much much better

---   Feels good

---   Yes  

A smoke

---   Please

he plucked a pack of Camels from his shirt pocket and shook it sideways to offer one        

from between twisted-up joints he picked a cigarette out      

---   Its so bright out here its like the onset of a Once upon a time story

their souls cowered crumbled under the moons harsh interrogation  black insects swarmed helping themselves to larger pieces of it and packed them off in clenched mandibles to their surly subterranean nests

---   Are you kiddin me  Christ thats creepy 

I just came out for a cigarette  continue our talk

---   Awh Im for fresh air beat the heat out from under the throb of musicToo loud

Playing it so loud it was disorienting me

the grass or pills vied for their attention          

                                   Look here!

          No here!                               

                                                                   Here!
                       No Here!like spoiled children prone to having their way
because they realised they could  working their way under their parents skin and other adults  into their very seams like an irritating fine dust
Attention
         not caring if it were either good or bad
each worked to their benefit
they stomped their feet bawled over nothing

and nothing was going to rectify it                          

Attention

         a junkies drug Hey look at me!

though  if either could have be brought forth materialised formed of the nights vapour

they would have beat them with a switch

after offering a cigarette

                    hed have no reluctance to beat em with a bat

a Louisville Slugger made of maple

not one of those cunt aluminum bats  ping

everything off them pinged

a clandestine shot

off a wood bat you could hear if it was a deep ball or a cheapie

but not off one of those manufactured rolled wrapped different-coloured

technologys lastest and greatest shitty advancement

                                           some things ought to be left alone

stand alone

for their obsessed purity   functionality

technology shouldnt have its way every time                

thats why brats ought to be beat within an inch of their lives

thats why it they should have been settled at the get-go  a no-go hardline  apparent

no leniency or equivocation

but maybe thats why there were drugs 

                                to quell the squawking hair-pulling monkeys on their backs

they sat on a picnic table bench

exhaling a deep pull

                 So you were saying inside as we came out

---   I said I liked dick for a bit

he tipped his head to the side

---   Whaat  are you getting at

sidling away a bit

---   Excuse me Getting at 

I aint getting at anything

---   No

I thought we came outside you had something to say to me  yaknow  wanted to confide in me

---   Im confused

I dont confide

I dont confide anything to anybody                                                                      

And why the hell would I confide anything to you

Stoned or not

Jesus man Youd be the last cat Id confide anyones secret in let alone one of my own

No matter

         Tellin you would be like well  What the hell

Youd be able to see it working its way out like a cheap Chinese screw no sooner had you screwed it in

---   Are you whaddayou saying are

You trying to hurt my feelings

---   You trying to say you have feelings

Comon manh                                       

You havent the capacity to keep a confidence Thats no surprise 

What the hell

You know that about yourself

All you got to do is think

Someone croaks and you wanna be the cat tellin everyone first Not as a heartfelt consideration or condolence

You just want to be the first one who says

I suppose in it theres something gratifying something that turns a little crank inside you

I dont get it I dont work that way

---   No

You liked dick for awhile

---   Again                                                                          

Where you running that ball

Ill tell you  Youre running that ball up into the wrong hole no gain running up into a linemans ass like you did in school

---   A linemans ass 

Go ahead

Talk to me about this dick you liked

---  aHAH

Confidence

Thats why  this is why  any confidence in you would be misplaced

Dick

Why you harping on dick

---   I think by your own words you were hung up on a guy for a bit

You wanted to talk to me about it

his head nearly spun threesixty

                          A guy  Because I mentioned dick  Because I would talk about a guys dick before Id talk about the guy himself  Id mention him by name first

Wouldnt you think

Or is this how rumour you with some girl is formulated manipulated spilled dumped onto the Book of Faces  Fabricated for the artifice of social media that seems always to have to be fed to make one legitimate in its multitude of eyes ears and eager tongues

---   You have a poor opinion of it

---   I dont                                        

More accurately Im indifferent

If it doesnt bother me If it stays behind closed doors If its kept in the privacy between its consenting adults

Have at it Go nuts

Just dont involve me in any way or form

Then were good

By the way

The dick     

Nixon

I liked him that he killed the draft

Now what I have to contend with its fallout the back door draft the heroes now manufactured by America obsessing over fear and terror  stoking it  a cash cow  an economy forcing the hands of more and more to volunteer

I did like dick for a bit

1313,  Saturday,  23  4. 16

 1046,  Monday,  25  4. 16