Whas wid the crazy tattoo
man Thought we had a conversation we
werent into tats
embarrassed
We did.
We did Whachanged
Anastasia.
Anastasia
Not much of an answer
I mentioned was dating her.
You mentioned you seeing someone but
you didnt tell me her namenot that you have to say Threefour months backyah
Yes. Just about four months;
Anastasia was who I was seeing, am seeing.
he pondered
his response a heartbeat
Is this tat
about her
he cringed
Youre cringing mancringing about
a four month relationship thats had you toss something you had maintained wasnt
possible
Though you didnt
say Never
Anastasia . . is . . . compelling.
So compelling you crossed
yourself
You wouldn’t understand.
A fuckin assumption I havent
known you to assume anything before
Don’t pick on . .
.
. Dont
Fill me in Im callin a spade a spade Weve known each other fourfive yearsneither of
us is a pushover Wha gives
What gives?
he didnt have to spin his Rolodex
Its evident sorry
man Pussys aplenty It shes got you hoppingot you jumpin through
hoops A tattoo when you havent ever had
a good thing to say about one artful or
not they turned you off Now youre wearing a garish floral tattoo I dont follow
tendrils vines leafy
delicate ivy wisteria ran off the tattoo over his heart wound about his chest over his shoulders across
his back growing downgrowing up crawling across his throat
Theme tats cant be cheap
I did only the one. he put his hand on his
heart I did it to make her happy,
she asked me to, damn near begged me to, she’s an artist. What’s
over my heart is her work.
The
others, man, the other aspects have grown . . all by themselves.
Thats nuts
I’m telling you.
By themselves.
he was incredulous Over how long
A week, a week, they’re like
weeds.
I wake every morning and they’ve grown
more, like a mind of their ow . .
.
. You talk with Anastasiatalk to her
She’s, ah . . she’s . had to go
out of town, family, family emergency.
his
turn to cringe
Before or after
What do you mean?
Before your tattoos began growing or after
Jesus.
Just before.
Is she talking to you
No.
Wheres she fromgrow up here
No. Russian, Russia.
Rural Russia
What do you mean?
Cosmopolitan Moscow Saint Petersburg City city or rural
She said a small town.
A small town Shes not talking
to younot communicating
It’s a family emergency.
Exceeding your emergency
My emergen . .
.
. The freak thingthe spiderwebs growing all over your body
he pursed his lipsrubbed the two week
stumble on his chin
mumbled Freak thing?
Tattoos dont grow man
he was deadwas consumed three weeks later a profusion of vines and oddflowers laid in
his bed in the depressionthe outline of his body like murder victims a chalk outline a vague silhouette
a vegetal caricature
he saw he wasnt answering his telephone calls
he broke into his place
cops tried to hang breaking and entering
on him
Yah B & E I called from his place
Cocksuckers
very early
morning, Reggae Friday, 25 9.
20
1709, Saturday,
26 9. 20
