she tipped her head  like a bird  like she was listening underground

                                                                          You don’t think that’s an odd thing to say?

He says a lot of odd things.

I do

      Sometimes odd is just plain being honest

An aint tha something this world coud use a healthy fat dose of

                                                                    Like threescoop ice cream cones  I hear

I don eat ice cream

You don’t?

He doesn’t.

Are you from a different planet?

Am I alien Thawha youre askin

                                     Im leaningravitatin to wha works for me

Coudnt give two shits bout status quo pop culture social media

Got me a silo for one

                       On the beachfront  With a fishing pole

    Is he real?

I could pinch you.

Pinch me, why?

To confirm you’re conscious, here and now, listening to words I hear a couplethree times a month.

    Why I asked you here this weekend. Wanted you to hear what I gotta put up with.

Hes addicted

               Ask himbout our relationshipwatch brother goup over the moon

Would you quit that?

No

     We have a relationship Like you

Boy friend  Girl  friend

Agreed.  You’re my boy . friend.

He doesnt know tha

He better wrap his skull around it. I’m not jeopardizing a friendship.

Bro

he muttered something under his breath

What?

He says repeating me  I don know tha

Wanna shut your mouth?

Quit

       No hard feelings Im being honest

An often the truth is hard

We’re getting sidetracked. she said

We certainly are

Back to my question.

Cowboy  Remember her question

    Her question

I don’t.

You don think thas an odd thing to say

Verbatim.

           How this whole conversation began.

Right on girlie

                Ill answer you

No

    Callin him my human isnt odd

I rarely interact with others except for long telephone calls

                                                              Which is exactly how I want it to be

Socialising is exhausting

But you can do it.  he said

    As Ive toldya before

                           I did it when I was paid to do it

after 459preferred,  Sunday,  20  10. 24

1943,  Saturday,  2  11. 24

he woke

had to orient himself

                                                         yes . . .

blind date failed

saw her to her car

walked down the block to a wine bar that entering he inquired if they served hard liquor

they did

          The selection isn’t deep though.

before he could ask the hostess sharp girl handed him a wine/liquor menu

                                                                                aah Redbreast twentyone years

Bingo

Thank you Are there seats at a bar or  only quaint café tables

We have a bar.

Youre sharp kiddo Thank you

                                  tipped her a fiver

helped assuage his failed date

                                   happy though they didnt spin each other   virtually zip attraction

as he walked in a woman sitting at a table turned obliquely caught him in the thigh with her elbow even in the subdued light he saw she flushed

                          Oh, I'm terrible sorry, I apologize.

No harm no foul

                  Ifya fouled me Idve screamed bloody murder

a wonderful smile spread across her face

                                            she laughed gayly  didnt cover her mouth

then she laughed harder

                           You’ll excuse me, I didn’t see you coming.

at the chair to her right hooked on its back a white walking cane

Well shit he laughed with her  girl was rightup his alley

                                                             I was going to have a drink at the bar

Might I join you  Woudya care for a drink

she turned to the table deftly touched the stem of her glass

                                                                How am I doing?

Don know where you started Not two inches in the bowl inchanahaf

Is that a word?

A word

Inchanahaf.

I tend to slur words Swear  Havent had a drink this evenin

This is my first.

                 If an inchanahaf again that wonderful smile  don’t mind if I do.

Excellent What is it

Lannie, the bartender, knows, he surprises me this is my haunt.

Ya aspook

Ohmy laughter leapt from her throat

                                         Aspook?  You’re a card.

As my mother says

                      She also believes Im charming

But youd think a mother woud think that of her offspring her blood

                                                                       Now if only Id quit sayin fuck

She tolerates it because Im here favourite which is sayin something

One of nine

Thasaid the eldest

                     We were intimate The numbers siblings afterwards didnt have tha kind of time 

I was fortunate

She sounds like a peach.

Thank you On her best days she is

                                         Lannie Not Lennie Lennie Small   By George

Lannie.

Hate to get off on the wrong foot Ill be right back

                                                    he turned to walkaway then pause  spun on his heels

If I may youre a peach too

                               Im somewhat an expert

she chuckled

               Thank you.  Is that the extent of your expertise?

Sppose well find out

                                                                                          

                                                         yes . . . 

what time was it

he turned his head to the nightstand

a digital

wasnt to her benefit

maybe a throw for normalcy she couldnt thoroughly partake in

2:68

           maybe not

he watched

             was curious if it wasnt his continuum the non-stop no-reoccurring film of his living

life has edges

                 conscious  unconscious  REM  dreaming    subconscious imports

had no subconscious either

                              will be bummed when the reel the real   ran out

2:69

he rubbed his face

smelled his hands

                      delicious   her

Emmanuelle

              she told him it meant God is with us

if he is

         he smells damn good too

 

3:10

      there we go there we go

Emmanuelle stirred

he didnt want to disturb her

he turned on his shoulder she was on her left he spooned she sighed  was warm  her hand came up to her bicep he puts his on top of hers she wove her fingers between his

You’re awake?

Yes

Time?

Threeten

Threeten.

             I really like your slurs.

   Care to go again

Oooh.  Hee’s baack.   chuckled

Sometimes expert is only a really good jack-of-all-trades

                                            she laughed     I see.

after 459preferred,  Sunday,  20  10. 24

1319,  Saturday,  2  11. 24

Whaswid dese drug companies

Christ! not again . . yet another of your hard-ons?

Yah bet your sweet ass

                          Romantising drugslemme  lemme correct tha  illicit once  illicit cannabis  romantise the hell out of them   but prescription drugs unromantic Not a damn thing romantic about takin drugs thamebbe your life depends upon

                  Necessitys not romantic

Awright.  I’ll play.   Which drug this time?

Called Cabenuva An antiretroviral medication for HIV/AIDS

                                                                  Funny how we forgetlet slide  our great oldfashion American amnesia  Cant begin to tell you how many funerals my wife an I attended

Fuckin government Gays brought it on themselves

                                                         Until straights began to croak

Trumpvirus rears president  government  lying   slow on the uptake

                                                                              Maybe the right people were dying

I lost count

            April  a milliontwo nearing three  then countries quit publishingsharing their numbers  But even then more than a hunred Americans a day

                                    Then

Ive no recent numbers

You followed American deaths?

I did

      Out the gate I knew Trump was lying  Its wha he does

But I digress

                Cabenuva

Yes.

Whadamean  yes

You said.

    I said romantising

I recall.

Yawanna stretchout  Take a guess

                                      Ive offered all the hints I can give without givin it away

What away?        

The romantising  My bitch my hard-on

    I don’t know.  I can’t guess.

Christ

        Casanova                                                                                                                  

I sppose cant teach an old dog new tricks

1820,  Thursday – Halloween,  31  10. 24

1055,  Saturday,  2  11. 24

chimed Time to take a shit and got up from his desk puzzled his cats  all his words puzzled his cats except  except their namesthey knew their names

taking a shit talked to him  muummbled FARted

                                                   frank  sometimes tart words of bodily wisdom

thoughtfullyrequisite he nodded  listened hard    replied Whagoes in has to come out

and finished wiped  standing he turned indeed to look see in fact how the movement had been  had it reached his expectations   did he aim too high

                                       usually they were in accord

occasionally

             Oops didnt see tha comin   like a newborn who doesnt look like either parent

fathers always suspicious

   they were in accord

                         back to his letter                                                                                     

1002,  Saturday,  2  11. 24