he didnt like himhe didnt like
him immediately
he looked up absently from the
letter he was writing to his daughter and through threads of blue smoke off his
cigarette he made an abbreviated eye contact with him
the man was rubbernecking the
dimly lit bar
he scarcely recognised he did
he was slipping thoughts of what
next to write in her letter
his letters tended to spontaneous
gobs off the cuff kneejerk reactions mental gymnastics and contortions overall
blatant iterations of what happened to traipse across his wandering mind
they were formless occurred out the end of his ballpoint pen
onto pages or scraps of found paper backs of advertisement flyers which often
distracted who he wrote from what he wrote because they were at least smooth
cognitive formulations and never anything hed conceive of partaking in or
purchase
he didnt register he glanced up
as easily he could have been
watching the passing headlights from undistinguished cars on the night the copperyflint pavement through the tall plateglass windows at the front of the
bar
perhaps the man thought they knew
each other
which was unlikely he didnt pursue conversations or
acquaintances
they wouldnt know each other
he took another drag off his
cigarette picked a piece of tobacco off the tip of his tongue sipped his beer
then dropped his intermission and returned to his letter
he must have been wearing his priests collar
that was the rub
he knew his family knew that people
he was unfamiliar with often approached him and confided things he wouldnt have
if he were them
not that theyd go anywhere
if someone found they had
something to say to him he locked it away
a herd of wild whores couldnt
compel him
No
hed busy himself at their carnal blue
bits his mouth too full to speak
his hands at their breasts and asses his fingers in their slippery warm pies
Eat a peach
Hellyah always room for warm peach pie
the chair across from him at his
table dragged its wooden feet on the raw concrete floor complaining mildly
Yahman so youre heard of Diamonds
Strike Anywhere matches
he lifted his eyes to the man
sitting down
he took a sip of his beer
then he casually looked into the
strangers face
he was ugly
there was nothing at first glance
which the two might share nothing in common
unless the stranger was looking
for a fight
he wasnt adverse to talking with
his fists
still awash in the passage he was
finagling for his daughter he said I didnt catch that Im writing
Said Diamond Strike Anywhere matches Youre heard of them
I have
Yeah Good Thats
me
A diamond or the strike anywhere
cat wasnt taking his hint Im writing
You can write anytime
I am presently
Naw not presently Afterwards
had to be the fuckin collar
had to be another confessional
out of the blue lubricated with liquor
Awright he set his ballpoint down on top the pages hed enter this transaction in the letter for
his daughter
he ought to carry votive candles
in the knapsack at his feet Awright Ill play
Whatcha drinkin
Dogfish Head on tap
Ill buy ya one
I wouldnt say no Call it the price of admission
as the stranger motioned the
barmaid over he said Again whaddaya got
after he ordered he said To answer your smart question Im strike anywhere I bitchslap anywhere A woman keeps her two cents to herself she opens her mouth Ill
knock em out With her
fuckin teeth if need be
he didnt reply
Bad manIm a bad man
But it occurred to me walking
over here I got just the girl for you
Youre a pimp
Fuckno
Youre trying to set me up he knew he shouldnt play but he couldnt help
himself a good chance this wasnt going to end pretty
the stranger said he knew a girl
who knew a girl who knew a girl who knew him
Suspense he said and laughed
the barmaid returned with their drinks
the barmaid returned with their drinks
he finished his warm beer and
took a healthy pull of the cold one Thanks
Yadont toast when someone buys
you a beer
Is that the cost of
admission he was beating admission up
pretty good
Awright Heres to wha
I dont know I bought the beer
Buy a round Its your toast
Tah two cents held tight There
In reference to your bitchslap
anywhereyah
Yah
To two cents Everyone has theirs
they drank together at opposite purpose
the stranger probably didnt follow
Hey So Ill call the girl who knows the girls
he picked up the sheaves of paper I got a girl
and set them back down placing his hand atop them And shed be ticked if I entertained your
suggestion
Not to be rude Ill thank you
for your offer for the beer Offers a nonstarter
the stranger glared at him
You accepted my beer
he
pushed the beer across the metal tabletop Not under terms of inviting women over I got a girl
the stranger held the tip of his
tongue clamped between his front teeth
maybe he was thinking hard
it looked like it hurt
You got a girl
I got a sweet girl
I got a sweet girl
You didnt hear me when I said I was a bad man
I did but then I think all men are Corrupted it seems by our sex our truly preferential treatment
he wondered if the stranger wasnt feeling a bit bitchslapped
Youll excuse me Id like to return to my letter I appreciate the beer he didnt reiterate The price of admission
You gay
I am Im one happy muthafuckerYou bet
Somebody ought to slap the two cents out of your mouth
Yah
Somebody
it wasnt suspenseful either he was coming across the table or not
he pushed back in his chair stood and walked off stifflegged
he didnt worry about the stranger getting behind him
he always sat with his back to a wall facing the door
Im back baby he wrote
mid-October, 2016
0914, Thursday, 3 11. 16
0914, Thursday, 3 11. 16
Sly and the Family Stone I Want to Take You Higher https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDjnB_61k58
