. . . Nah

              . . . Nah if I was smart

If . . I was . . .

                  Maybe I woudnt have bit

Aw Thawoud have been difficult

                                      Cocks drive a hard bargain

he laughed

              Whos writing your material

We pay you heed

                    She was she  was   a vision

She was wasnt she

they nodded in unison

Thought Id have scared her off

Ohhorseshit  she wasnt going anywhere

                                             She admitted she was adamant

She was

Yes Donbe a pecker about it  Yaknew exactly wha you were doin

Ah  But I didnt know where itd lead

Thas why we live life

                      Think Ill go this way while the rest of the tribe streams off in a separate in another direction

   Yah

          Correct

Became attached after tha torrid night whippinchurnin the underlit bluelit water

Please

   Pleased

Climactic

Was

Understand You asked after her

                                     She was on her anonymous wayseemed content with a fling

Fling  Ya think

Think

       You arrested her

   I did

Therefore Whacame afterwards was your doin

Yes

Yes

From a skinnydip an fuck to marriage

                                         Happily married

Yes

  Aye  Id never tradeaway

We woudnt either

                      Majority of the time  wonderful

he nodded absently  Majority

last four years were Hell on Earth

he tried to take her backremind her of wha went before

                                                            she woudnt have it

she was lookin into a black maw

suicide only way out 

                         I don’t want to be here.

he thought she meant the hospital

   she meant Life

1018,  Thursday – Leap Day,  29  2. 24

323preferred,  Sunday – St. Paddys Day,  17  3. 24

Leonard Cohen  So long, Marianne  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XzAjfwQtvM

they were talking on the phonediscussing bowmouth guitarfish

                                                                  suddengasped laughed together

What? she snorted  Why ya laughing?

he resnorted Youre laughin  Why you

gathering herself

                   Well, occurred in a flash what we’re talking about, well, seems unlikely other fathers and daughters are conversing in kind.

Science

          Ya took the words out of my mouth

Hilarious it occurred to us simultaneously

they laughed together more

the chuckles whiled away

they put themselves back together

he  unlike him  became particularly sober

                                              I want to thank you for sharing bowmouth sharks with me  Theyre absolutely prehistoric looking

Yes. They were recently considered, determined, to be the most evolutionary distinct jawed fishes in existence. If we were to lose them, we’ll lose eighty million years of evolution.

Lose them

Their populations are under threat. They’re captured and killed as bycatch, explicitly fished for their flesh as they inhabit swallow near-shore water, human pollution threats, their environments are being degraded, destroyed.

   Jesus

They’re such beautiful animals.

I looked while we talked  Yes they are

they fell unusually quiet

Whell baby dying an death arent extinction

Our successful species is flawed

                                   Trouble is when were looking down the barrel were going to feel awful sad for ourselves

   Good riddance

1246,  Saturday,  16  3. 24

1111,  Sunday – St. Paddys Day,  17  3. 24

https://www.flickr.com/photos/30283068@N02/3764645750

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10604422/#:~:text=The%20bowmouth%20guitarfish%20(Rhina%20ancylostomus,localized%20extinctions%20has%20been%20reported.

Oracle of diDelphys

                     pithy Pythia  pie in the sky

 word association

coudnt help himself

never coud

knewtha since a kid

the Oracle blew him away

Youre remembering an likewise saying it incorrectly

Howstha

Its Delphi not whaya said

Youre interior Ya know I know tha

                                       DiDelphys tickled me

Uterine didelplys

Tell me I knows ya know

We coud have learned earlier

But we didnt

                Whacha got  An don precede it with a sighI see ya loadin up

Cant sigh

No

   Two uteruses

Yes Utter ruses tricky deceptive   Missleading

                                                      Canya imagine getting pregnant in both

Voila  NOT twins

Particularly if impregnated by two men

                                            Sticky

The way you think

   Correction

                The way we think

1217,  Saturday,  16  3. 24

1715,  Saturday

he was nodding

his old trick

it was ridiculous

he believes that his noddinghis insistence will instillwill  provoke an agreement from whoever hes talking to

   he let him nod

                   hes been tipped off

nodding  There’s a there there.

No

Yes there is.

Where

Comeon . . . if ya squin . .

. . Your eyes are shut

No, no, no they’re not. I’m squinting.

   Your eyes are closed

I’m squinting.

Closed

    There.

               See.

1701,  Reggaefriday,  15  3. 24

1122,  Saturday,  16  3. 24

Grand Funk Railroad  Closer to Home (I’m Your Captain)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvOPucs7dC0

each carried a bag of Saint Paddy fixins out of the grocers

exiting through the pneumatic glass doors they were waylaid by Girl Scouts

                                                                               COOKIES

shit

     was it that time of year used to be once a year  seems they were hitting people up a coupleCHRIST maybe three times a year

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BUY SOME GIRL SCOUT COOKIES?

as he got his No thank you out his buddy said SURE enthusiastically

the girls surrounded him like sharks a feeding frenzyNO nonot sharks  can you say PIRANHAS   blood in the water

buddy handed him some boxes to put in the bag he carried Mine’s full.

the GIRLS enthusiastically thanked himwaved goodbye as they walked into the parking lot

What’s with you? 

didnt bother to look at him

                             Nothing

You got something against Girl Scouts, against cookies?

No I . .

. . Give ‘em away. It’s for a good cause.

Whas the cause Keepem off the street  I didnt hear you ask they didnt explain have a fuckin clue wha youre supporting

The Girl Scouts the Girl Scouts, I’m supporting the Girl Scouts.

   An you like cookies

Who doesn’t like cookies?no sooner out of his mouth he corrected himself Who aside from you, doesn’t like cookies?

Its not about cookies Its about the corporations behind the Girl Scouts  Who theyre fronting

Fronting?

Fronting

What the hell are you talking about?

Whadid ya pay a box

Six dollars.

How many cookies in a boxwhas their net weight

I don’t know.

Thin mints thirtytwo others fifteen each box nine ounces Think   Once upon a time they were sixteen ounces  though I coud be wrong

So what. The Girl Scouts are iconic.

They are

You could donate cash.

I coud

       But then Id have to trust strangers trust only their troop utilises it   An I don trust nobody      

You trust me.

As far as I can throw you  which aint far

What do you mean fronting?

Its profit motivated

As most things are.

I agree

          Though seems to me Girl Scouts coud make substantially more money turning tricks sex trafficking

Jesus.

   Dark humour

                     I surely relish dark humour

You don’t mean it?

Nah

      Though ever wonder how many women in porn had been Girl Scouts

his eyes bugged

Just sayin

           Also  Aint a damn thing wrong with porn Id prefer to watch people have sex than kill each other car chases mayhem AI-generated sequences an characters

But thas me

when they got to the car unloaded bags into the backseat buddys tipped over  cookie boxes spilled out

Christ  How many boxes did you buy I took four from you

No idea. I bought what I wanted.

                                   COOKIE.

Great Cookie Monster impersonation

1827,  Monday,  11  3. 24

1302,  Reggaefriday,  15  3. 24

https://www.allrecipes.com/girl-scout-cookies-prices-2024-8424175#:~:text=For%20the%202024%20season%2C%20many,last%20year's%20%245%20price%20tag.

https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/price-girl-scout-cookies-through-years/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OKGUAbpj5k

he read in London Boulevard  Ken Bruen  “It’s a happy man who knows his place in life.”

he thought it was a pithy observationscreamed  common sense

                                                                   then he thought

Thasa rare commodity

   then  during the ensuing dialogue going off in his head between the gaggleMariachis he  they  came to terms came to an agreement

Im sayin

Well let you say

Youre not letting me say Im sayin

                                    Shaddup

No nee . .

. . SHADDUP

they muttered Testy under their unified breath

Im not deaf step away

                         Sure ya have oodles to commisersate

Oodles they mimicked

oodles made him laugh   he was fond of the word

their consensustheir response to Bruens pithy words

                                                         Its a bright lad or gal who recognises they were born behind the eight-ball

2158,  2sday,  12  3. 24

1156,  Reggaefriday,  15  3. 24

Ides of March  Vehicle  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq95nZBbNHI

wrong

Yah   Nah

            he put down the puzzle piece he was holding turned around from the table

Tha was wrong

                  Worse  I can see in your face you know it   A second time in as many weeks

She said she wasn’t up to it.

Then you shoudnt have gone

She had to make an appearance.

   Appearance

                    I coud laugh  Appearance  Horseshit    One doesnt make an appearance at a funeral or a memorial

That was her word.

Her word  For both you

I was there to support her.

Youre worse than she  You know better   Or rather I thought you woud

                                                                               Bein fuckin leadround by the nose man

I’m not . .

. . Pity  You are

                    I believe  believe   yaknow better    Arent lookin so proud now

What would you have had me do?

Whaya shoud have done

                            Not gone

he leaned over the kitchen table pickedup a puzzle piece   turned it in his fingers

Put the piece down

Why?

   Were not doing a puzzle now Were havin an unfortunate conversation

It wasn’t my decis . .

. . It was to take her  You scarcely knew the first anby cursory mention knew the second  You werent obligated

I made an obliga . .

. . To take her to attend services Not to avoid the ceremonies go for food an drink afterwards

                                                                                                   The occasions were to celebrate the deceased

I went to your nephews wedding I did not attend the reception

The party? You didn’t go to the celebration afterwards?

I did not

         Its been years Go ahead search your memory you wont see me therefrankly  I came up to youlast person the last I said goodbye to before I left

I don’t remember.

I do

Why did you do that?

The invite was for me It wasnt a one-plus   I went home to spend the evening with my girlfriend

You should have brought her.

She wasnt invited

Still, you should have brought her, there was plenty.

I saw She wasnt invited

                            I attended the wedding to show my respect Anif someone cant respect the ceremony they shouldnt attend the reception

A lot of people do.

Thas on them I woudnt think to disrespect a marriage

                                                            Nor woud I disrespect the memory of someone deceased

You disappoint the hell out of me

he set the puzzle piece back down on the table

he didnt try to make it fit

find its place

Im gonna go

              I hope you give your dismal failure some thought

1730ish,  Thursday,  14  3. 24

1051,  reggaefriday,  15  3. 24

Rodrigo Rodriguez  Together  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AAB2id5tPc

Aretha Franklin  (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman  he didnt think so  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cF0tf35Mbo

party conversation was slowing escaping like air from toy balloon cum from an unknotted rubber

Cant have tha he thought

                           mixed crowd several couples meandering singles hed open thingsup open the floor bet things would either become animated or blown asunder  hed like to be blown asunder

So anyone ever cockblocked Ive been   Anyone else

      chilly breeze

Arya a bunch of prudes

      some harrumphs some couples stood hastily and left

Anyone  Aside from me

Me.

      a cat at the back of the bunch sitting in a lawn chair turning a sweatbeaded drink on his palm

And

And I don’t think a soul can better my dismal experience.

Sounds like a gauntlets been thrown Im game   Whacha got

Zeke cockblocked me

Zeke

      He after the same girl

In a manner of speaking.

Jealous Competitive

You could say that.

My cockblocks turned on jealousies

                                       Not attractive

No.

You an Zeke go back years or a more recent acquaintance

Recent.

          He knew her before I did, we met recently.

Who introduced you

She did.

Had she been in . .

. . Was still in the relationship.

he smiled slyly

                 An open relationship   Was cockblocked once  Jealousy   Though I thought open meant open

It wasn’t an open relationship.

                                   Zeke was terribly jealous. It took him some time to warm up to me.

His affections werent returned

They were. As a matter of fact they were living together.

Living together

                  Im not sure cockblocked would be accurate

It’s . . accurate. 

                 She invited me to her bedroom.

Her bedroom They had separate bedrooms

I was lead to believe they did.

he held up his glass to him toasted Uisce beatha Irish Whiskey  Water of life

Water of life.

they sipped

You Irish?

Better Polish

he laughed

Thas better

             Was lookin like you were spiraling down going over the edge

   It was disappointing. I felt she could have turned him away turned him out.

Cold feet

      Cold feet?

They certainly came on quick, hot to trot hit the brakes.  I reeled.

You try to have a word with Zeke

We don’t speak the same language.

He a foreigner

   Danish.

             A Great Dane.

Zekes a dog

                 Yawere cockblocked by a dog

One for the books right?

Fuckyah   Im glad I brought up the subject NEXT

                                                        Humiliation

Fuck you.

Sorry man  have to cockblock ya

359preferred,  day-between-20-Ts,  6  3. 24

1208,  Thursday,  14  3. 24

a cowboy a redneck and a polack are standingwaiting in a grocery cashier line behind a Mexican

      sounds like the beginning of a joke doesnt it

the redneck points back to the cowboys waxed carton of organic milk on the conveyer belt

                                                                                               Organic, what’s that about?

There's no antibiotics in it, cows can’t be treated with 'em, trouble today is that we’re ingesting ‘em all the time, which isn’t good, we become immune, our health’s impaired.

polack in the lead nods

                         Got that right brother  And its delicious

redneck says When I was a kid milk came in a gallon glass container, yacould see the cream at the top, my mother used to pour it off for her and the old man's coffee.

Likewise said the polack

As a matter of fact my mom, frying bacon, would pour off the grease and save it to make pancakes, used it in all sorts of meals.

As my mother did an I still do Great to wilt mixup in dandelion greens unopened buds

We didn’t have Kleenex either, we, brothers and sisters, had handkerchiefs to blow our noses in.

polack went into his back pockets showed them the two he carried

                                                                       Hey man careful Dating yourself

cowboy asked where they grew upsounded like they grew up in similar surroundings he offered he was local  fifth generation

            redneck polack noddedhmmed  polack  Fifth generation  redneck  Homegrown.

Ever been out of California asked the polack

Why?

Only other fifth generation Ive ever met was in Montana Theyd never been out of Montana

No.

redneck offered he was raised Central Valley Wasco north northwest of Bakersfield

polack said Humboldt Park Chicago

                                      Queer though directing his remark to the redneck an urban polack would have so much in common with a redneck then directing his remark to the cowboy You Glass gallons of milk bacon fat offal  organmeats

shook his head said no

to the redneck Organs Liver kidneys heart tongue  Oxtail

Yup.

Mexican interrupted Me too, hombre.

polack turned forward to the Mexican I knew that Our diets are crazy similar

Migrants? I understand Polish were hired by Germans seasonally to pick their crops.

Correct My grandmothers did as a little girl before she came to America Im second generation American

Me too. said the Mexican

Fifth generation cowboy said the polack  Sounds like a claim to fame Kids

Kids and grandkids.

Crazy 

        Americas a melting pot

1430,  Sunday,  10  3. 24

1045,  Thursday,  14  3. 24

. . . Lovely

I told ya.

Cheeky too

She’s a pro . .

. . I cant afford

I’m affording.

Enjoy yourself

                   Havent  Ive no intentions now

Spoil yourself.

Not in my lane

Like your aversion to massages.

Look at you

             Gettin the message

standing on one bootleaning the small of his back against an upscale zinc bar top shelf liquors over his shoulder admiring their behinds in glass hed directed his attention solely to her

                                                                           Whas her name

Name?

        That’s no matter. She’s a pro.

John punctuating it  

head snappedhe sneered

Women have names

                      Also given the looks shes tossing this way I think   I think shes sweeter on me  Youll disappoint her   Her name

Im acknowledging her before I leave

   Youre something else.

                            Tricksy.

Gal looks clever

                  How she spell it

Really?

Why ya askin  Looks apparent to me

begrudgingly  T R I C K S Y.

See  Not a Beatrix Beatrice Patricia  Suits her 

                                                   Youll excuse me

he pushed off the bar made his way over to her table

                                                           Tricksy

she lifted her facelooked up at him

                                      animated eyeshadow

he was dying to ask her how she did that

didnt

       an as he didnt he mused embodied cognition  it was like him to duck out through side doors enter again through the rear exit or back in through the front  shaped by the state an capacities of the organism

Organism slipped his lips

Sorry. I didn’t catch you.

Excuse me cleared his throat as he thought orgasm  I said organism

   Organism. appeared that she wanted to toy with it but let it lay You’re a bit strange.

Youve no idea

                Tricksy  extending his hand  Im Joe

she took it

knew how to shake                                            

I was supposed to have been your date but Ive stuck you with lover boyo had no idea why he threw the O on

Boyo?

Ah  knew why

                Better than Bozo eh

she laughed gayly

when she subsided

                     I must say Ill probably regret this  But sighed yacant teach an old dog new tricks  she laughed again didnt cover her mouth  wished she did unabashed was appealing or change ones stripes

You don’t want to give it a go Joe?

   No   No

             Not tha Im not tempted Tricksy

I wanted to come overacknowledge you wish you a good evening

Thank you.

Youre welcome

                 he turnedwalked away  didnt look back

no need had shuffledstacked her inventory shed sneakup on him daunting daydreams when he least expected her

359preferred,  day-between-2-Ts,  6  3. 24

2308,  day-between-2-Ts,  13  3. 24

Iron Butterfly  In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tfpn3wHoNGA