gruesome

                so gruesome made his skin pricklescalp sweat

a man on a woodwheeled cart sides slightlyangled out hay tufted by manure at his feet he wore a white robe cinched at the waist with crude rope

                                             four large men accompanied him

walked at its side behind it in front beside the aurochs that pulled it

they held longhandled meathooks

    commanded the aurochs quit pulling

the cart wheezed eased relaxed

the man stiffened

                   eyes roved looking for an escape

though he hadnt it in him

                             spent what reserves he had left trying to avoid capture

surprised his foes by forcing a lengthy pursuit

they believed it inevitable

    he did not

and for his troubletroubling them  they were going to be atrocious they were going to be atrocious no matter  which he understoodwhy  he refused to relent

                                             giveup  surrender

atasuddenatonce the four slashedhooked him

    it seemed impossible he could move in four directions at the same time

                                                                               but the men with hooks achieved that

AMish,  Wednesday,  6  8. 25

1458,  Monday,  27  10. 25

he moved into a quadraplex in the suburbs

Why you moving out of the city?

                                   it wasnt that she asked but the whole of the crowd he hung with

Im tired of being readily accessible

Accessible?

You havent any idea how frequently you stop the others stop

                                                                  My apartment isnt a salon

Were it a salon I might have thought to hold onto it but its more like an opium den people fuckedup stop at my place all hours bring beers booze wine to come  down

    They’re your friends.

Truth be known

                     Acquaintances

Me.

     Am I an acquaintance?

Were fond

              Were fuck buddies 

 

I don’t see me driving into the suburbs.

I work in the city where you live

 

 

figured what trouble could he possibly get into

he failed to take into account

                               families children they were awright husbands hadnt figured macho macho men and swang real wide  young wives

Minnesota

moved in late in the fall

snow came early

long winter

short spring

SUMMER

barbecues

quadraplex

had three immediate neighbours

                                    young families

why they took pity on him he could feed himself weekend barbecues not only in their cul de sac but right around the corner left or right

because he was single he was the rage  the envy   a target

                                                                  maybe city acquaintances werent that bad

unexpected consequences

                                 who knew

he learned

 

across the street catty corner their three little girls took to him rapped at his door they sat on the stoop he helped them with their homework treated them with frozen bananas they thought the cats pajamas

parents werent bright

                         doomed with razorsharp daughters

he was the oldest of boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom  eight

                                                                                       Catholic

children were second nature

Kyle daddy  suspicious

                            ignorance leans to suspicion

his wife Bunny

                  was grateful

he was the man her husband wasnt she was grateful her children were benefitting by his attention

    If they’re a pain, send them home.

Theyre intelligence  A time will come when they blow past me an then youll have your hands full  Theyre good girls

Bunny had occasional bruises

 

 

second summer

                   the but-why?ravenous girls other neighbourhood kids had cured him of city acquaintances quadraplex barbecues

fuck buddy visited

                      fit right in

Kyle

      more cockish 

 

one night a cry

                 catty corner

a terrible cry

he was downstairs reading

went out through the sliding glass door

                                         Bunny bucknaked ran across the street towards his place

Kyle in naked hot pursuit

told her Inside turned on Kyle middle of the street Back off buddy I hit back

                                                                                        fortunately they listened

Bunny went through the sliding glass then upstairs into the livingroom

                                                                           pulled a kitchen chair into it sat shivering

he came up the steps Jesus Bunny

Thank you thank you . . . broke off in tears

Youre safe

             he went right  from the cedar chest at the foot of his bed he grabbed a quilt his mother made for him when he was a boy almost had a fistfight with her for it when he left home

Here  Sit up  Let me wrap this around you

                                               standing before her he draped it over her

Thank you thank you . . . her face streaked with tears

                                                                she leaned her head against his belly

realised he was wearing evening boxers her warm breathpanting wove its way

                                                                              Thank you.

she put her hands on his hips

                                 Thank you.

AwJesus  he was getting aroused

                                      more breathy thank yous

she touched him gripped him stripped him he tried to feel badfeel guilt

                                                                     Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Hank you. Hank you.   Ank you . . .

                                                        naked wrapped in a family quilt

    she gave her hero head

0507,  Sunday,  26  10. 25

1304,  Monday,  27  10. 25

they were high

his compatriot when he got high  a goofy motherfucker

                                                    Yeah yeah yeah, I got it.

You a Beatle

A what?

Beatle

    Why would you ask that?

Yeah yeah yeah

Yeah?

She Loves You

 

Whatever.

           I got it.

You said

What is the best compliment you ever received?think.

I know

How could you know?I said think.

    I know I know because at the time my wife concurred

You received a compliment she concurred.

Which is what I said

What was the compliment?

Wha was the best compliment you ever received

    I’d have to think.

                        But you know.

What was it?

Was in San Diego near the Embarcadero

                                            We had a hotel room

While she showered I went out for some liquor a mixer for her an returning I walked passed an older building  an apartment building but not

A working girl sitting on the stoop came onto me propositioned me

She was young

She was mighty cute

I declined

Aw come on, you’re a tourist, I can read you, fuck me, take a story home.  I’m clean.

   Clean 

Yeah.  Clean.

I appreciate the attention But my wifes all showered an were gonna have ourselves a time

I can be your fluffer.

compatriot interrupted Fluffer? What’s that?

One thing at a time

                     I thanked her  I declined

Then she complimented me

Your best compliment was from a prostitute?

She said shed fuck me for nothing

                                    Couple other girls on a balcony just above us overheard her an they said they agreed theyd fuck me for nothing too

Thanks girls  Wha am I supposed to tell my wife when I return spent

She married you. We’ll fuck her for nothing too.

Jaysus.

I laughed waved tata walked away to Nice ass. Hurry back. We’ll have ourselves a party, fuck you both.

Jaysus.

                You tell your wife?

I always told my wife.

What do you mean . . always?

Not a one-off

               I attract womens attention

Braggin’?

No   Fact

  Fact.

               And what did your wife say?

As I said

            She concurred

    And she fucked me for nothing

You

 

    I’ll have to think.

2134,  Sunday,  26  10. 25

1126,  Monday,  27  10. 25

Beatles  She Loves You  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGbWU8S3vzs

cauldron

                         misnomer

dumpsters childrens wagons potholes in the street  depressions in the earth

                                                                                  when the fiery explosions happened

human bodies rend torn apart flung mellpell charred

                                                              stewed in cauldrons

he was not repelled

he was hungry

he pulled meat from fractured bones with his teeth

pulled clots of meat apart with his fingers  delicately gratefully placed strands in his mouth

to humour himself no one else there wasnt  occasionally a not totally destroyed body  thankfully a rare occasion to humour himselfhis situation he thought Unseasoned  I wish I had seasoning

there was charred tomahawk flesh usually hanging in treescaught on stout bushes  if he had to say  his favourite

raw roast cuts he found he cut into strips  dried them

                                                               dried them that died

who never knew what hit them

        he didnt know what hit him

make the best of a bad situation

        made the best

                                        because he knew

who knew how long

0457,  Sunday,  26  10. 25

1031,  Monday,  27  10. 25