20.1.24


. . . rolled his eyes
                     
I saw tha comin

You really believe in that?

Im not talkin reincarnation Talkin prologuewha comes before
                                                                 Maybe thabehind the screen thas come down to me

Behind the screen.
                         What the hell are you talking about?

The razorthin gossamer the veil between being alive an not-alive

   Not-alive.
                Dead.

Whas dead

What’s dead? Are you kiddin’ me?

Its openanclose quotemarks dead  to us who are living
                                                               Beyond us Dead  Since I aint died I don know wha dead is
Anya don know either

Of course I do.

Youve died

No.
No
      Then you have no source no evidence to draw from yaknow shit  You have an uninformed opinion anwha have I told you about them

Don’t say.

Id rather not  Tedious


Thank you.  I thought you might.


Past is prologue. What’s your pointyour . screen . or veil?

You know me yaknow my habits proclivities know my hint   my social habits

he laughed out loud
                     Social habits? What social habits?
I said it was a hint
                       Run with it

   Run with zero social habits.

And wha man  a bigger hint nineteenth century man   do I remind you of

Nineteenth century.
                      You know its the twentyfirst century.

I know yare draggin your feet

   Listen, I don’t want to play.

Keep your nifty little mind open to the evidence
Evidence?
             What you’re going to lay on me from beyond alive not-alive is evidence?

For my formation yes

Formation? Is this a soul thing?

I told you it has nothing to do with reincarnation
                                                      Where were you roaming before you came here

Roaming? Fuck. I wasn’t roaming anywhere.

You were The author Big Bang fashioned you
                                                  Youve been in text since the beginning of time
I have no free will free choice?

You do Of course you do
                            If you were a storytelleryoure not but if you were or a writer youd know characters are stubborn  Think bottle rocket Yare a bottle rocket yare goin off like a streak  Ohfuckno Up Hard left hard right veering
I said like a streak Who the hell are you

Stubborn They create themselves


   No thanks. That’s working too hard.
                                            A nineteenth century man.

Evidence is I read I write I walk I research I swim I exercise prefer solo projects I prefer my company to others

Amen brother.

Mountain man
                 If I were to approach the four  no six women Im closest most intimate with an ask them  theyd agree

A mountain man?

Unfettered independence

A mountain man?

Ya donsee tha

Awright. What have you.  What do you think of my formation, as you say?

A worrying gadabout
                        Upside A gadfly  Ruffled shirts puffy sleeves likely a stylish powdered wig done up with ribbons
Wow!
       Thanks.

Bro Shoe fits wear it

1547,  Reggaefriday,  12  1. 24
1412,  Saturday,  20  1. 24


bullshitting
           leaning againstbetween cars under a sicklyyellow cone of streetlight

during gaps in scats of conversation they could hear crickets somewhere in the surrounding darkness
                                                                                                            They’re lucky.
Lucky? How are they lucky they’re bugs?

No no, I should have said they’re a symbol of good luck.

   Crickets?

In China.
           They’re also believed to be a symbol of prosperity, wealth, and abundance.

Weel fuck, we certainly enjoy an abundance of neither.

Speak for yourself

Like you got a pot to piss in.

I got wha I need

Like need is sufficient?

Listen to this guy wouldya, got what I need.
                                               Man, you lack ambition.

You two are ambitious

It’ll come.

Damnright.

Ambitiously waitin on your old man to die leave you scads of cash

they both deadeyed him
                            he shruggedOooh Frightening  I coud knock the snot out of bothya at once

You think.

he hefted himself off the red Ford Starliner  Know
                                                          Gents Care to dance

they remained flatback against a yellow Chevy Nova

   I could shoot you in the face.

Run home to your Daddys house Ill wait

I could kill somebody . you.

If yave killed somethin yacoud kill somebody
                                                   Whaveya killed

I went hunting onc . .
. . Nobodys talkin to you
                          he gave him steelyeyes had known both since boys they knew he worked summers on farms ranches in Illinois Indiana and Wisconsin
                                    then shifted eyes to killer
Killed
         Im all ears

I’m just saying I could.
                           I could if I had to protect my family an frien . .
. . Friends

   crickets chirped


chirped

Me


chirped

 Yeah. You.


silently he leaned back against the car rolled his shoulders surgeries made them ache when he got irritated 

Say.  You two are a real pair.

   Yah
         Howbout dem apples
 
1102,  Saturday,  20  1. 24


contending with Oblivionthe Oblivion
                                          he used humour ifya he didnt laugh hed cry  liver an onions

                                                                                          ob liv ion
                                                                                            See

  saw


seesaw

merrygoround

swingsanslides

anjunglegyms

white cotton pants

white crew socks

Converse gymshoes

spitshined oxblood pennyloafers

crewcuts

pigtails bobbed bangs ponytails
                            Youth

slippedpast lookinforward to being on his own


on his own
              slippedpast 
in the rearview mirror


skys darkening
                 Oshit 

Its not the sky

1501,  Reggaefriday,  12  1. 24
1038,  Saturday,  20  1. 24