. . . has left the building

perhaps the standard understanding  Elvis

he understands it as anyone whos died

the building

               their body

the reminder left behind

no lurking

              but

Whaif one coud lurk

keep to a closet

hide in an attic

                  in the basement

a lot of people wont look in the former two

                                                         creepy

he grewup in a late eighteenhunreds house that had both 

it had been the farmhouse on an enormous tract of land

hed seen pictures of it  standing alone

no outbuildings

surrounded by prairie

likely in the faded ghostydistance were the fields

if they were they were out of focus

a tree wasnt to be seen

                             absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

obscene absence

his family moved into the housethe neighbourhood early Sixties

concrete streets curbs at the corners of the blocks overhead lamps though they were punctuated by empty lots  For Sale signs posted

by the time he was in high school they were sold  homes built on them

the prairies which is what the kids called them  on them young trees grew and they built forts to play in 

he was ambitious stole lumber from constructions devised and built tree forts

they were cool

then lots were split

half their forts went sidewise  consumed

then remaining forts were dismantled

                                         watching he laughed bitterly  dismantled with extreme prejudice

he believed the men who bulldozed them excavated the earth dug basements erected forms snaked with rebar poured concreteKNEW   knew  what they destroyed

no brick basements like his houses

they were lurking

playing hide n seek

No one’s looking for us.

It’s too early to say.

No one is.

You don’t know that.

I don’t hear anyone.

Shush.

Has anyone heard someone call Olly olly oxen free.

Shush, please.   Anyone smell chemicallysmells?

Chemicals?

Yes. Formaldehyde, phenoxyethanol, ethyl alcohol?

No.

Anyone smell natural or liquefied petroleum gas?

No.

No one’s lookin . .

. . Shush.

              Smell alkaline?

What?

Smells like soap.

No. Why?

Aquamation.

Oh God.

SHUSH.

No one’s looking for us.

   Maybe someone will.

When.

Let’s hope soon.

 

   he believed theyre there

                               wed be enlightened if we sought them out gave them a little more time

if we werent frightened by death

2053,  Saturday,  16  12. 23

2330,  Saturday,  16  12. 23