bugs

it was gonna grate gonna badger him til he fessed up

itd been two days

he was holding out hope even if he knew better

the remnant leaftatters in the apricot tree taunted him

walking through the Community Churchs parking lot the oldest church in town he saw a push-button black ballpoint pen laying there

he didnt have to bend over to see it was empty carelessly thrown away   churchgoersJesus

it was as empty as bugs web

since appleseeds second suicide attempt hed grown lax

she stayed put in her web

bugs wasnt fool enough to venture over above the vanity mirror to her corner

not with heads on pikes

he crossed above the window to the tub

as he showered eyes closed to the spray he turned

opening his eyes latently the hot shower on his back his bad shoulder he saw at his feet a thin dark cluster

a tangle of hair he thought

as it rushed on the water between them he thought differently

appleseed collapsed in on herself too

he bent quickly and damned its way with his index finger

it caught

as he stood water cascaded down his arm and washed it off

it rushed headlong towards the drain

he spun in time to see it deadhead into the drain

hair  he thoughthe hoped     hair

shower finished he killed the water opened the curtain grabbed a towel off the wall hook and began drying off

standing cranestyle he dried one foot

he set it down on the bathmat

cranestyle he dried his other foot

then   and only then did he take a gander into bugs corner

it was empty

he twitched

he spied appleseed in hers

no newlyspun body

bugs suicided  Gawddamn!

Let down your guard and something awful happens  when was he gonna learn

Be vigilant

Always vigilant

cost him his bookendGawddamn!

confessions are good for the soul

if you believe that horseshit

1422,  Day-between-Two-Ts,  14  12. 16