he wasnt startledSUDDENLYrubyred dress right her youthful blackskin like tar her big smile like starchedwhite pressed shirt  her huge brown eyes humoured 

                                                 a young man left  inconspicuous  Howdy Doody  though no man carries a candle to a woman 

                      hes hopelessly heterosexual  heterosapiosexual

Excuse me he blurted while splitting themtipping his left shoulder cleaving them in two  she hurriedly replied No please, excuse us. in her voice a fascination that could have been moreseemed a prelude to conversation How do you do that?  he wouldnt have been curtthey were eye to eye she slipping just past himhe caught her scent citrus her friend sidestepped providing a wide berth  he wouldnt have been curt with her Lotsa practiseNO   he would have enjoined enjoyed her

then they were passed

she was too younghe was too old to throw a look back over his shoulder as much as he wanted  creepish isnt part of his vocabulary

           she  a match inadvertently struck in the dark flaring extinguished at the epitome of her conflagration

he returned to his book

1250,  Sunday,  21  8. 22

223preferred to 1423,  Sunday

he looked back over his left shoulder he couldnt see 

                                                       I cant sit here I cant see the clock The tree limbs are obscuring it

You can stand up, walk over to where you can see it, then return.

A lot of work rather than just turning my head and seeing it

I like it right here. saying so he patted the metal café table top

Enjoy 

       he stood picked up his coffee and crossed to a table that sat at the edge of the paver patio  he sat in the furthest chair  looked   the clock

he was not illprepared

his canvas bag slung over his shoulder inside were a couple of books clipboard of paper pens 

                                                                                                    hed entertain himself

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?

he looked back across the two tables between them 

                                                       Do I look like Im bluffing

WE MET TO HAVE COFFEE.

We did But you know its always been incumbent that I can see the clockknow the time . .

. . You can see it from here, as I said, stand, walk over . .

. . Interrupt myself Glancing to discern time or wasting time to discern it truly anticlimactic anwho wants to interrupt a climax   Friend 

                  he felt it was a good argument  neither had been laid in awhile

                                                                                      I have a reason Whas yours

I SAT DOWN.

You can sit again

Christ. 

        You’re being unreasonab . .

. . No  I provided a reason  Yare being unreasonable

Didn’t mean to say, I didn’t mean to say.

However you did 

                   Whas the hangup  I SAT DOWN 

I don’t understand why . . 

. . No you don

               You don understand the necessity tha I contemporize You also don writehow many letters did you write this week this month  this year

Why write if you can call or visit?

You really want to go there I don think you want to go there  No 

                                                                     Get up off your ass and sit with me

no he didnt want to go therehe didnt want again to be dressed down for his entitlement be remindedagain  how easy things were made for him rightly accused of the indubitable glinting silver spoon

sighing he got uppicked up his coffee walked over ten feet and took the chair across from him 

                                                                                                   There. Happy?

I woudve been happy whaever the outcome Im not hard to please

1445,  Thursday,  17  3. 22

1100,  Sunday,  21  8. 22

William Basinski  Melancholia  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJe4FJ6qMDg

Siggyother

           nah  he just couldnt help himself Bennifer awedgobsmacked him 

at the time Bennifer made him puke 

                                    If memory serves me correct thawas early 2000s

I don’t knowcouldn’t say . . it was brilliant though.

Anhow old were you

That was nothing to do with anything.

I disagree You were old enough to know better 

                                                  Lets crack a window open a door it may have coincided with a T I A a transient ischemic attack  Or maybe a true righteous stroke shot fired across your bow needle skipping scratched record repeating repeating   repeating 

                                           Wha the hells siggyother 

Com’on, take a guess, play, have some fun.

I don think so Im irritable  Which is why I askedcut to the chase

Awcom’on . . guess.  a stupid grin spread across his face

  I  asked

his grin looked like a lousy frosting job some retard got their hands on a frosting blade but used the woodhandle not the steel 

      Is it twisting your panties in a knot?

No knot

         However in the midst of your cadre I can imagine they encourage you har har but Im disinclined to let you make an ass of yourself an not tell ya to your face Its not clever  Yare not 

                                                                               Siggyother Please   Wha is it

I think . . we, in fact, think it’s obvious.  A significant other.

  Ah I woudnt 

                But Im not one who woud describe or affix such a title to my better half  Therefore inobvious

You’re just being uppity.

I am not

Too good?

No  I don care for the terminology 

                                   Id happily call them as my partner in crime Otherwise  Nah   I have too much respect for them 

the smile sluffed

what replaced it wasnt attractive

maybe in a word revulsionYES 

                                 he was revulsed

whichfor him  was better than frosting 

                                          he cast a deeper foray Have you ever been in love Truly in love 

Yes.

too abrupt

love is not abrupt

kindling lit under teepeed sticks thicker sticks engulfing flames feeding more and more thicker bigger redhot coals split logs  a raging fire 

                         love takes work to maintain  but you didnt start it to let it go out

standingup he slapped him roughly on the shoulder 

                                                      Got to get going Thank you for the beer Ill leave you with your memories of love

Yeah.  the revulsion petering out

1240,  Thursday,  17  3. 22

0948,  Sunday,  21  8. 22

William Basinski  The Disintegrating Loops  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjnAE5go9dI