a broken tooth a molar lay on the filthy steep concrete steps that ran
alongside the Community Church they provided
access to and from the parking lot at its rear
dried bloody spittle laced around
it
as
if the molar was a heart and the spittle its vascular system
the church was the first in the
community a pious white community an upstart utopia beginning as nothing more than a tent
city
he supposed a lot of utopias
flourished in the West in California
if he were to start a utopia hed
pick an island
it could be conquered but it
wouldnt be infiltrated
at least not without his consent
the railroad bypassed it
he guessed the founding fathers
wouldnt ante up the bribes but they were
armedimbued by God they could kill righteously
to protect what they had God works in mysterious ways
the Church was in the Old Cityhe
lived in the neighbourhood above it and contained by it
he took a shortcut across Church
property to walk into town for groceries or go to the library the bank the
liquor store the theatre
if he used the Church as an
epicenter within a halfmile radius there
were five other churches
he supposed church and cancer had
something in common
he didnt know what to make of the
molar and bloodit happened there at the foot of the steps blood appeared in spatters along the sidewalk leading awayhemmed in between the church and a brick retaining wall
the spatters didnt wobble they fell
in line
he supposed whoever lost their
tooth lost the fight they didnt leave on
their own
ahCommunity
Kesey You’re either on the bus or off the bus
All-One
All-One
well he wasnt
anif confronted theyd
dance
his father left him his sap and
knuckles from his insurance collection days in Miami
he said he was fleet of foot even
on leather soles he never had to resort
to them
but evidently he saw in his sons
eyesdespite the boy being faster than him hed make a stand
when he gave them to him he said Everyone should have a little insurance, son.
he appreciated his fathers
utility and ever since he was put off by sons who mumbled sentimentally about mementos
their fathers left them
he paused at the foot of the
steps fingered his mouth nope it wasnt his molar one would think hed remember that theyd be wrong
he shrugged off his thoughts continued walking and
went back to the book he was reading on fascism
1533, Friday,
4 1. 19
1255, Thursday,
17 1. 19
The Beatles I Am the Walrus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Jm5epJr10
Strawberry Fields Forever https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtUH9z_Oey8
