Boxing DayNEVER heard of it

he received an invitation from his brother day after Christmas his son-in-law is English  It’s an English thing.

How long have you been celebrating it

                                         he lived on the Left coast as affectionately referred to by his immediate landlocked family they lived in the Midwest

Ninetynine.

Since fuckin Ninetynine

   Yah yah. Ness met Mark late sophomore year, they lived with us after graduating, hed earned a lucrative internship to remain stateside.

What year is it

Twentythree.

An this is the first Ive heard of itfirst invite Ive gotten . .

. . Ya live a long way away anif yawanna nitpicksplit cunt hairs . . when was the last time you were in for Christmas?

Two

Was it Two?

You know it

he could hear him shift uncomfortably rolledsteel legged chair on kitchen linoleum

                                                                                       I’ve invited you now.

Which I appreciate nice  nicetabe included

Yahsure.

What is it

Day after Christmasthis goes wayway back lords and ladies large houses enormous estates to be maintained groundskeepers servants butlers maids cooks livestock shepherds. You’ve heard.

Not fond of the period though have heardyes

Boxing Day, the one day the hierarchy celebrates their help, gifts them.

Aah  White of emhuh

I guess you could say that.

   I did

         Unfortunatelythough  while I appreciate the offer Ill have to decline  Yaknow  Tradition   Or traditionally

Then if you would, understand from here forth you’re invited to the house for Boxing Day. I’ve cleared it with Helen.

Suhweet  Landmines defused unearthed

                                            If I make Christmas Ill make Boxing Day thank you

You’re welcome.

There’s more to it thantha.

                            his first schoolboy chum moving into the neighbourhood of the same Cub Scout pack

You know Boxing Day

Yah. Of course.

Fuck of course When did you learn of it

Grad school. Threefour, four, yah four guys, were from England, learned then.

Anya didnt say

Why would I say?

I didnt quit coming in for Christmas until we moved to Cali Ninety Grad school was much prior Youd come to the folks house on Christmashave dinner with us lotsa bullshitting an being as many polacks as we were we didnt get out of country didnt rub elbows with graduate students

                                                      Id think youd have said something then

I’m saying now. It’s also a regifting time, boxing an unwanted gift anew.  Boxing Day.

The masters would regift gifts to their help

Not masters. They don’t like being called mast . .

. . Now

No. Not now. Smacks of . .

. . Imperialism

                 But they were masters

Not now.

          That wouldn’t be appreciated, they wouldn’t like it.

Awwbut ya know I coud care less

That’s you.

But if I may

Whadaya got?

They shoudnt be upset if called masterbecause because when you and I were younger we were referred to as Master you were Master Jeff we were Masters before we came of age and were called Mister

                                                                                            Yah

Yah. You are.

Now Id allowthem being upset if were referred to them as doing his best black voice which was shabby Mastah Whole other kettle of fishyah

   Yah. You’re right.

Some appleshuh

Some apples.

2218,  Monday – Christmas,  25  12. 23

1327,  2sday – Boxing Day,  26  12. 23 

mentor admissions

                       politicallyincorrect ehmissions

those what or who made him wet

stiffened his . . .

                  Is this a family show  Weel if he woudnt spare his family why woud he spare anyone elses he woudnt

stiffened his cock

   film is art

Jeremiah Johnson

                    he was a bornagain Mountain Man

when people discussed loneliness or being alone he thought  Is tha a thing

                                                                                his daughter then chimes in his ears

If you wonder if something’s a thing; it is.

      it just wasnt his thing

Fight Club  The Man from Nowhere subtitles  West Side Story Yahweel excuse him all to Hell

whisper revenge in his ear an hellbout follow yaanywhere

Nin Miller Hemingway Faulkner Sade Rimbaud Lautreamont Surrealists Burroughs 40s noir writers pulp science fiction

VanGogh Picasso Impressionists Surrealists Abstract Impressionists cunts Yahright flowers painted by OKeefe  Whawoud Frida say

   speaking for himself  ONE HUGE ejaculation

                                                     spent sighing  hell have to get back to ya

1340,  Reggaefriday,  22  12. 23

2134 changin’up 1234,  Monday – Christmas,  25  12. 23

he woke this morning and from bed looked at the black steel locked gun locker and the cardboard boxes atop it

      made him smile

few weapons tons of ammunition   reloading supplies

                                                           on parhe believed with slavish white Christian national zealots

which made him laugh too

                           made him think of Jack Nicholsons Joker  Wait till they get a load of me.

though he hadnt Nicholsons maniacal laughter

rather his was tinged with cold reasoned lethalness

   what also made him smilelaughtickled him was his accumulation Was tha the right word his collection   hobby

in the boxes above were hunreds and hunreds of original panels hed scissored from the Minneapolis Star & Tribune Bloom Countys Doonesburys Calvin and Hobbes Far Sides Guindons Oliphants politicalsocial commentaries astute scathingwry observations that helped informhone his developing ideologies

                                                                               which he may not have developed had he not been an avid newspaper reader growingup  hed been a ridiculous ten-year current events paperboy  you can take the boy away from the paper but you cant take the paper out of the boy

he was madeup of blood and newsprint ink

wasnt paper mache

                      wasnt a sucker for straw men  smelled one  rudelytactlessly eviscerated the argument

his mother taught himsometimes with a crack in the back of the head with her hand  Do not to suffer fools gladly

she was ruthless Cut them down in their tracks.

like he cutpunctuated silhouettes at the shooting range

                                                           while there hoping theyd be the only silhouettes hed have to cut

   So what were they

hobbies   collections   accumulations

cold comfort

before 0700,  Monday – Christmas,  25  12. 23

1806,  Monday

Jack Nicholson  Joker  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxLFXnj9Nz8 

I’m confused. Earlier you wrote zero sum.

                                               Chinese?

Chinese

Yes.

Whas the confusionConfucius

Huh?

   Awrightsigh Confucius   Kong Qiu Chinese philosopher  Laozi  Another  Founder of Taoism

What are you getting at?

                            I asked zero sum, dim su . .

. . No stop  Not edible

                       Yaknoman For a moment I thought you were being clever   Then remembered youre not

What do you mean?

Zero sum Chinese

That’s what I’m asking.

Weel I believe any nation with eyes to Imperialism are zero sum nations They win you lose

   Imperialism.

Yes Practise theory attitude of maintaining or extending power over a foreign country countries Achieved through expansionism  The use hard power be it military or economic  Soft power  thaof diplomacy cultural imperialism

Kids farce Zero sum Chinese pulled the corners of his eyelids slightlyup Japanese slightly down Mixedup kid  NO   No  Americanese Russianese Noneeasy Calculating CIAese  Not nonzero sum

                                                                                  Dig

big sigh You lost me.

   There anything else on your mind I aint explaining beyond tha

                                                                      I believe I covered the bases Get a dictionary an encyclopedia learn for yourself if youre interested  How I learned   I hadhave  an interest

prior to 0700,  Monday – Christmas,  25  12. 23

1642,  Monday

to any and all spirits who sustain us

 

   Blue Guitar 

a favourite of mine – I loved conceiving it love repeating it like children  I hope youll enjoy

her blue guitar leans in the corner

against the stereo speaker

where she placed it

she liked  as she used to tell him in bed after they made love how invisible fingers 

radiating from the speaker held it  stroked its strings  played impossible chords  

the guitar sounded so different

shed never be able to recreate that music  imagine or remember it 

she said often the music was in accord to the music hed play during their lazy afternoons together  his imperfect scratched 78s  the keenly-guarded refined 33 1/3s  and those raucous 45s

she loved the echoes in her guitar its reverberations slipping like snakes in its chamber

she loved how the wind moving through the house visited it too

those days when she complained it was too cold and why did he have to have the house open

and on those days when the house was too hot

and the overhead fanblades were desperate to have their go at it

and the days since

when she hadnt been there to complain

but he would imagine she did

imagine all the qualities of her voice  its timbre and tone

when she was elated 

or distraught

when she was dreamy and contemplative

or singing with her eyes closed

all her persons he loved  and didnt  that she shared with him every moment they improbably had

without thought hesitation  or reservation

they  figuring improbably  that they would always have

stretched across the wide warm gulf of their living together

and now the sound hole of her guitar seemed far far larger   for each and every day they didnt have

he was jealous of her guitar

her fingerprints her tentarch or were they whorls invisibly etched onto its strings

its frets and tuning keys

                           her oils and scent on it

they were gone from him

                           his midnight showers eroded them from his skin its streams of water deafening his ears so he couldnt hear his crying or feel his hot tears running down his face

deafening him

a reason he fingered

because he could no longer hear her

hear her voices

feel her touch

blue

      her blue guitar

leaning dusty at the speaker

near the albums and jackets and paper slips brittlely ageing  yellowing without the kiss of sunlight

as he

without her kisses

warm touch

reviving strokes

   blue

  

1502,  CloverSunday,  1  6. 23

again 1350,  Monday -- Christmas,  25  12. 23

cant get this out now

                       aint ever seein the light of day   no way no how

three small boys were on a dead run towards him as he approached the bridge that crossed the river dividing the town

they ran up on him breathless

he heard their approach took the book down from his face as he walked

                                                                               You mutts the winners

they couldnt saycouldnt sputter the river was wide

                                                        they nodded   they thought they were

in the distance the woman who accompanied themdeep behind a gaggle of another eight yelled her apologises

                                                                                                SORRY SORRY SO SORRY.

he shook his head UNNECERSSARY THAS UNNECESSARY 

as they closed

                They were no problem as you saw I assumed they were having a foot race

the three shook their heads no

No

one still breathlessstill shaking his head no said No. It wasn’t a race.

he sidestepped the other kids as they walked up on him

                                                             wished them Merry Christmas

in turn they acknowledged himwishing him likewise

finally their chargechaperon walked up to him

                                                  I’m sorry, the boys were rud . .

. . They were not Seemed they were having unmitigated fun

                                                                  If not now  When

she smilednoddedlaughed Yes.

                                     We’re on a scavenger hunt.

Oh joy I didnt think tha remained a thingthas good to hear

Yes. Thank you yes.

                      We have but one item remaining on our list. The boys thought you might be him.

Youre collecting men off the street

she yelped NO. Oh goodness no.

                                     Our last task is to find a man who looks like Santa.

They thought I looked like Santa

They did they did.

                     I am sorry to say you are not, you do not qualify, even if your beard were longer. If it had been I’d still have to disqualify you.

Disqualify me Youre makin me feel bad

                                             he laughed  he almost hohohoed

I’m sorry. Even if your beard were longer you’re . . how to say this . . . you haven’t . . haven't the . girth.

he cocked his head like a rooster 

they laughed simultaneously

   he choked out Ive not been accused of tha before

it went over the kids heads

not hers

finally Lotsa luck finding your Santa  Merry Christmas

still blushing Thank you.  Merry Christmas. 

Wrong he thought  matrons shoudnt blush

1353,  Saturday,  23  12. 23

1948,  Sunday,  24  12. 23

MERRY CHRISTMAS  HAPPY HOLIDAYS   BE WHAEVER THEY MAY BE     PEACE

pro football

in America

farcical

           Yah   a Farce

do your jobfunction  do wha youve trained all your lifeconditioned yourself all your life  to do

an achievement to be sure

                             which ought to sufficient    in itself  in itself in itselfinitself finite

an accomplishment

   but somewhere along the line

                                   football players were letgo  informed   saw themselves performers 

herd followed

he didnt

          with every endzone dance the sport diminishedevery performance after a receiver caught a firstdown pass a back ran a firstdown the sport diminished

whenever he sees a PLACEkicker muster a twentysomethingyard field goal point to Heavenboth hands indexfingers

he feels like he might vomitYAH a field goal

                                                asif the Divine intervened

asif Divinity has nothing better to do on any given Sunday Monday   Thursday   Saturday

   God in America?

Military in America

ZEROSUM  in America

1730,  Sunday,  24  12. 23

2208,  Sunday

Korantemaa  Dreams  (FleetwoodMac cover)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKgOHlHCkiI

Warpaint  Elephants  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOFxb0F2F2A

Okay First World   Name me something obscene

Christ. Really coming in hard out of the blue.

Think on your feet

Not an attribute I’m known for.

No

    Which is why I bring it up Im tryin to stretchexercise your mind improve you cuz Gawd knows yaneed improvement

Never too late

face a shade of perplexed You think so little of me . .

. . Ohno not at all

                   Yatend to think so much of yourself Not a You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby advertisement  Ya got so so far to go

Because he sneered you think so much of yoursel . .

. . Know thyself man know thyself

                                      Im steeped in me Hence why influencers social media advertisers shitheads one an all got nothing on me nothing for me

Not because Im right

Because Im right for me

                              Obscene

Focus  I can see youve let loosesomeone has of the string to your helium balloon

What was it?

Jeez

        First World obscene

You usually say.

Usually

          But I thought itd be nice to let you run with the ball without a blocker ahead of ya tryin to clear the way  Open field running baby

I don’t know.

Give it a moment

   I don’t know. Nothing’s occurring to me.

Awright

          A heated three car garage and storage

he could see it in his eyes dilated to pinholes

                                                 Awright  I didnt say for you to top it its not a competition though thas how bro saw it

I really have nothing.

Can you get back to me 

eyes bugged

I know I know  Stole your line

Yeah well . . don’t wait up.

   Never

1629,  Reggaefriday,  8  12. 23

1512,  Sunday,  24  12. 23

he threatened him of course   with a split of firewood  of coarse

                                                                          hes either a recovering arsonist

or has other irons in the fire

If I were you Id drop the wood  upped the iffy situation sarcastically said Looks like white oak he knew barbecuing too

I’ll drop you, motherfucker.

                            going zero to sixty in a heartbeat  a kind of landspeed record in his experience

Youll   drop me

Damnright. 

            Move it along or I’ll brain ya.

   Or youll  try

                 Miss  Ill use it on you   he stood awkwardlywasnt in a throwing position  hed bet

I told you Go.

Nobody likes being told what to do  An Im Mr Nobody

                                                             Whas the bug up your ass man

I’m warning you Go.

the mans wife came out of the house

                                       a hand went to her mouth she looked horrified  she looked she looked fearful to speak

he must have felt herdidnt look Go back into the house, this is none of your concern.

I told you to go.

pointing to an ear Hard of hearing too much loud rocknroll growingup

                                                                        Growingup You know anything about tha

I TOLD YOU TO GO BACK INTO THE HOUSE. GO.

                                                      she turned hesitantly towards the door but like her toe caught caught she tugged tugged and tugged  then gaveup and turned back to face the misfortune unfoldingbrought on by her husbands young dog chasing his outdoor feral bigfoot who hes cared for for better than ten years

Go.

   No. Drop the wood.

You know you don’t tell me what to do . .

. . Yet you can tell me wha to do he interjected to bring the mans attention back in his direction

                                                                                                    not only did he look like hed throw the wood but might also slap her around he seen men like him before the eyes  their twisting in on themselvespresent  them somewhere elsesomewhere before   somewhere  witnessing something ugly

broken inside

Lemme guess Service overseas

Fuck you.

GI  Soldier   Coming to Americas defence

FUCKYOU.

   Ill go

Yeah you will. Go. 

                     Go walk and read your little book.

I will

      An you go back to tending your little fire

he almost threw the wood

the book was sensational Birmingham The Cruel Stars foldingmoving from one extreme spatial coordinate in a galaxy to one in another

                not what he would chose to do as he descended the drive to the street

if he could

hed have foldedup behind the man an taken the white oak out of his hands

he was going to hurt someone

                                  as damaged people do

he learned later that the man like a nephew of his tended toxic burnpits in Afghanistan

GO  America   

1342,  Saturday,  23  12. 23

1335,  Sunday,  24  12. 23