he might have said he was surprised 

                                       but that wouldnt be true 

Not just a little bit shehe heshe teased him

You

Honestly no 

              Maybe once youd have surprised me but then youve become everything we hoped for  an more

I aim to please

You invigorate 

                 So honestly no

Yah me neither 

   he stuck his thumb between the pages of a book to hold his placemade his investigationsatisfied his curiosity and when he opened the book again and pulled out a plum and saidof course What a good boy am I 

                                                                                                      Mother may I 

No. I saw you move.

I didnt 

        a Mothergoosed Little Jack Horner

she said she couldnt help herself You think fathers hold the corners on fondling their children? Wakeup. Smell the coffee boiling.

she had been a very young mother felt the same with other girls other women

she caught him move

shimmied  the shake shook the plum from his thumb

it rolled in the playground dirt

no telling what had trod there

he bent over picked it up put it in his jacket pocket

hed wash it off later and eat it

   which would likely be very interesting he lost Mother may I shed have her way again

one day hed turn the tables on her get her over a barrel go head over heels

1425, Twosday,  30  5. 23

1619,  reggaefriday,  2  6. 23

their trip ended in Seattle she sat beside him the final states was returning to U W for her senior year he was visiting his daughter

   “final states”   perplexed him 

geographic states

                  could look out the bus window see the land they rolled across as in an aircrafthis nose pressed to the glass unless it was in a book or article he liked taking buses and trains so he didnt have to negotiate traffic  could BEHOLD 

         his mother-in-laws line 

she quieted her children when they began to get on his father-in-laws nerveswhich wasnt hard as they drove

Behold children, feast your eyes. 

she was a painter  shrewd keen observer 

                                            she feasted constantly 

they understoodappreciated each other 

   “states” 

              what did he mean

Elzi had gotten to him saddled him with feelings he thought extinguished  somehow she kickedover unearthed deep dull purpledred embers cloaked in pale ash ghostly sarsenet distantly revealed in failingsilvered glass

what states were he now in 

   he was guardedprotective 

hed have to huddle with his heart interrogate his braingive it a thorough once over thirddegree under a searing carbon arc lamp 

          he hoped they might be on the same page though he wasnt opposed to mudfights 

hoped he could keep them to no fisticuffs 

though he wasnt opposed to that either 

they shared addresses

                         Wouldn’t you like to ask me for my phone number?

   No 

        I think before I ask for your telephone there are thingssubjects Id like to explore via letters  You like mail 

enthusiastically Ohboy do I!

he smiled wryly M A I L

That too!

Elzi had so much going for her 

                                      their magnetic opposites attracted 

If we coud  then we can share numbers

Yes, sure. she nodded Id like that.

I woud too Thank you 

   when unexpectedly he kissed her goodbye he felt states change stases slip tectonic plates let go

when sheher ride pulled away they waved goodbyewaved until they couldnt see each other he took a bench his bus wouldnt arrive for thirty minutes and wrote her

1415,  Twosday,  30  5. 23

1301,  reggaefriday,  2  6. 23

Desiderii Marginis  Freedom’s Captive  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3NNV1u9IM0

Gawddammit Keep up he couldnt keep up with himself   Woudya step it up 

I am

Yarenot Notch it up 

You slow down

Cant Got places to be

Cant be there without me

Yawanna bet

   this was typical banter between he and his hims hers the drag he had to permit of the shehes heshes that gatheredround his bassinet when he was a baby 

                                                          Jesus had three the Magi  they had names  when theres only three they could have proper names

hes grown older

they havent changedhe didnt want to know

he figured they werent assignedhe didnt invite them 

                                                       simpler perhaps  moths attracted to light

they came in droves 

                     had theirs eyes out for himcould turn their heads 360degrees were attracted to minutia shadows penumbras discovered penetralia unexpected sancta sanctorum and laden as they were if he were realistic hed understand why they couldnt keep up   kids in a candy shop 

                                                                 gleefully  Did you see tha 

he couldnt resist

they knew 

he stoppedbacktracked

                         Where 

There 

Ohshit 

        pen tucked behind his ear paper inside the book he was reading  sometimes he wrote it sometimes he took dictation 

never got old

Woudya step it up 

I am 

      

           I were more than he could count or would

1440,  Twosday,  30  5. 23

1106,  reggaefriday,  2  6. 23

Mogwai  Superheroes of BMX  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raNIsUkEvOM