he watched a squirrel in his neighbours backyard from the kitchen window as he washed dishes

a low white picket fence ran between their yards a simple demarcation of property

they had a trampoline sunbleached   pale blue

the squirrel had leapt down off the trunk of the black walnutcovered the fifteentwenty feet to it and scrambled up onto its apron

it perched upright on its haunches appeared peevish

then dropping onto allfours it followed the apron slow l y sniffi n g completely around the trampoline

as it began its second tour he thought Comon knucklehead you can do it Cross the trampoline  Comon

Ooh ow hadnt done this in a while his brain began to ache   telepathy hurt

the squirrel finished its second round but between seven and four oclock where it began it walked a bit unsure  quirky fidgety

   it paused

              he took a deep breathneurons sparkedhe kept slinging the suggestion Cross it man you can do it Go  Croooss it croooss

the squirrel began a third counterclockwise venture  then again paused

                                                                          pausing it turned on its heels facedleft looked across the trampoline

                      Go man gogo  go onGO buddy suddenly asif swept away it boundedbounced it chitteredOooh like a gasping Marilyn Monroe Seven Year Itch above the subway grate as her skirt blew up around her ears OOOOHloud and clear boundedbounced twisted in the air found its feet like a cat agile little critter

                                                                                    he might have been delirious but he could have sworn it did somersaults flips squealing the whole while

his brain quit aching

Right on brother

                 as it began it stopped bounded once twice was in the air off the trampoline to the grass to the black walnut up its trunk disappearing into the boughs

he was pretty sure it had a nest in the walnut

the water had cooled

he pulled the plugran hot water into the other sink and when it heated plugged the sink againtopped it off  a touch more soap

What are you doing in there? he heard his mother ask from the diningroom It doesn’t take that long to wash the dishes; are you screwing off?

NO

    Being thorough

WE  HAD  SANDWICHES.

a mind like a bear trap  

Damn she was sharp 

                    Maw The world will always be what the world has always been 

Quit screwing off; finish up you have other chores, you’re dragging your feet.

Dragging my feet

                his family didnt respect insight intellect as much as it wanted him to break his back

 

whenever,  Friday,  14  4. 17

1307,  Friday,  10  9. 21