she called out to him twice this
morning
he was moving a bit slow
joints stove up
he was slow coming out his desk
chair on stiff knees
the second time she did he happened
to be rising to take his supplements anyways so he wasnt inconvenienced
she rarely inconvenienced him
both times she called Babe and both
times he answered Yes Give me just a moment Im still wretched
both times rising going down the
hall walking stiffly staggering side to side to the bedroom like a Frankenstein
monster at its threshold he saw she was fast asleep
he thought Christ Im slow I didnt
think I was that slow
quietly as he could he went into
the bedroom
she was fast deeply asleep
he didnt think she called the
first time either
the roommates were starting to
irritate him
beckoning him in her voice
mynah birds defrocked of any
corporeal attributes or distinctions
rummaging his aching body
him like a dog to fetch and when wouldnt
a dog go to fetch if its playmate cried Fetch
faking him with an overhead cast
Fetch! sounding like Babe!
mynahs shaved or scalped flensed
or skinned gutted deboned useless needless apparel accessories or accoutrements
for blue stubborn spirits either unwilling or unable to depart
his girlfriend recently mentioned
the male roommate
he inhabited the hall
she said he seemed agitated
moving up and down the halls narrow
confines quickly
only but a couple of evenings earlier
then early the next morning she saw him through
the screened bathroom window pacing back and forth at the fence line parallel to
the house and hall
his head turned to the house
a black shadow
he had no face
all the times he had revealed
himself to him he suffered silently
furtive cowering
the women were the chippies
affectionate
and had no qualms pursuing them
entering their bedroom where they clung in the corners or hung suspended
full-bodied over theirs their faces within arms reach taunting
the youngest tempting
though he assumed she hadnt
earned her succubus stripe yet
it was bad enough they mimicked her voice
0808, Saturday,
4 6. 16
