he looked around

it was disconcerting

he wondered if he looked to them as they looked to him asif he was in a bubble too surrounded by an aura

                                                                                                                   an aura brighter than the purpling evening like lights glowing from inside a house its insides revealed to those outside it

weirdly voyeuristic but ya cant help yaself and not looknot see  inside

it played like that to the redsalmon pink dawn

the auras spoiled his sleep

he wanted to see

he fingered the blackjack in his coat pocketwatched his breath spread in the cool air

he thought theyd fold before dawn

he fingered the brass knuckles in his other pocket the switchblade beside it 

with the rising sun the auras disassembled frayed peeled feathers from a fowl being plucked dissipated  disappeared

he fingered the knife intimately  illegal length

he never had to use it

he only pulled it once to frighten away three black boys who chased him probably for fun their fun

he went around a street corner heeled and spun pulled the knife

they came around the corner SHIT chorused

Who wants steel boys

they spun ran disappeared around the corner

turning he closed the knife and fled down the sidewalk

he did use the sap and knuckles in fights  though only to help equalise numbers that he lacked

looking down towards the waterfronthad he paid any attention he would have seen staggered torches they dimmed now to pale halfmoons

                           what were they about

he walked down towards them

at the base of odd placedrandomly placed torches were naked stained skulls and scattered to their sidesclutched in withered molting clothing were skeletons  jerked flesh

weeping willows in front yards beyond them looked like etched distended jellyfish

occasionally some of the torches sputteredflickered new flames fumed black smoke but they were shortlived they moaned as they utterly expired

the skulls didnt look at each otherthey didnt look in the same direction either some sat on their determined jaws some on their sides a couplethree balanced on their tops

better than two dozens torches helter skelter leading down to the waterfront

they didnt lead him to it he turned back in the direction he came

he needed some sleephe needed not to be seen near the torches and that under them

he thought the auras had been weird enough

walking away he listened to the leather of his soles chaff on rotten concretehis hard rubber heels thump like some remote longlost heartbeat

late November 2019

1244,  Monday,  8  6. 20