Youre brayin  Waters one thing

                                 Black water   Something else  I cant imagine you know

When was the last time treadin saltwater you stared down  into the depths a league or more beneath you

A league. What’s that?

Roughly threepointfortyfive miles

                                   How far out to sea have you been  Far enough where you coudnt see land

Smell land  far out at sea

A fuckin treat

Ohno no. I wouldn’t do that.

I have

        Hung in sunlitsparkling blue water givinway to a deep black floor abyss

I have to admit  haunting 

                           Talk about feeling small  insignificant 

Then not feeling tha anymore

                                   Because I am  we are

by his expression he felt he wasnt

You disagree

I think, I think you’re being overly broad.

Tell me of your significance

                             Boast    I can hardly wait

    You make it sound . . well . .

. . Well

           Thas not to say tha in various realmsrelationships we arent well thought of

But if a cog spun off by death the machine keeps on doesnt miss a beat

                                                                                Youll admit tha

    Yes

Thank you

                 How significant are you  

2126,  Thursday,  1  5. 25

1243,  Saturday,  3  5. 25

eyeballing him said his name was Gunther Ooohshiver me timbers quakin in my bootsNO   No  Not at all

hed been seeing Gunthers girlfriend the last two months  sidestepped what he thoughtthen was a moral imperativehis moral imperative   though enthusiastically  he departed it

    if a fingerpointer glimpsed or met Kristen

not only would they excuse him theyd forgive him

 

Gunther was frequently out of town on business he sold drugs

                                                                      He sells drugs.  Kristen

struggled to keep laughter out of her face  struggled

he replied Hes in pharmaceuticals  A salesman

smiledwide crazy dimples going off

                                      Ohno.

Aah

Yeah.

    Then enough bout him                                                                                                

they met through a mutual friend at a semipro hockey game couple of his friends played  he was moral support might have been on the ice himself if he hadnt weak ankles they skated  he played hardwood ball

she didnt wait to be introduced thrust her hand forward Kristen. taking it Joe  she knew how to shake

a firm grip

Can I buy you girls a hot chocolate They make the best damn creamiest alcoholic hot chocolates here  Ive been lead to understand tha the quickest way to a womans heart is chocolate

I don’t think you’re after mine.

No Brie  Im not

Should I be flattered?

Brie  Kristen doesnt know me an I woudnt be objective

No. You would not.  turned to Kristen   You could do worse.

Christ Thanks for the rave review  winked

she placed a slender finger to her philtrum maybe an attempt to silence herself took it away  I think . . I think I’ll reserve my assessment until after I’ve had a taste of this purported remarkable libation.

I didnt say libation

                     Who says tha Brie  You

Kristen. No.

Ill be back

 

 

So Brie.

    He’s hard, tough. Can be a sonofabitch.  If you give him reason to be.

                                                                                But there’s not a better man to have in your corner.

                      smiled demurely  If you can corner him.

You try?

All his female friends have tried.

                                   Yes. I tried.

And?

We’re fond fast friend.

                           Bonded.

Bonded?

He has my back, I have his.

                                That said . . . hard to believe how many of his friends are women. They, we, might intimidate a lesser woman if he decided to date her.  But that said, he wouldn’t date her if she was lesser.

 

0153,  Saturday,  3  5. 25

1132,  Saturday

Uriah Heep  The Wizard  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA4DFOCwnwk

Howbout dem eggs

                      Felon keeps layingem donhe

Donhe

Maybe those were the eggs he was runnin on

1455,  reggaefriday,  2  5. 25

felon as Pope  https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/03/trump-pope-ai-image.html

Where’s the remote?

from the kitchen head inside the fridge someone put the beers on the lowest shelfpushed them to the back

    Wha

Remote.

distracted had a barbecue yesterday a few friends  who would have relocated the beerwhat reason

     Wha

walking into the kitchen

                       Remote.

Wha remote

             Walk over to the set turn it on no remote

How do you change the channels?

Walk over to the set change the channel

                                            I only have four needed that internal antenna you see to get them

No cable?

No WiFi

No WiFi?

No microwave no dishwasherquit lookin at me asif Im strange

                                                                 Theyre daily conveniences thawoud inconvenience me

Unnecessary

shook his head

                Might suppose that explains why you have an iPhone leave it at home it's your home phone you can call receive text take a picture get one.

Receive  Rarely have to take a picture

                                         Now if only I coud convince people to stop sendinme pictures of food theyre going to eat

Wha the hells tha

   What?  Are you a fuckin’ caveman?

stoodup beer in hand elbowed the fridge shut handed him one

                                                                   A caveman

A caveman woud have a substantial footprint

Ive little footprint

    You

You trying to shame me?

You do you Ill do me

                        No remote got legs an hands

0836,  Tuesday,  29  4. 25

]1245,  reggaefriday,  2  5. 25

José Feliciano  Nature Boy  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iEbXyYiGe8

the receptionist held the remote

                                  he asked the black woman seated in the waiting room If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

London.

the receptionist paused looked over to him And you? 

he wondered if this guy tried moonlighting as a comedian

since when did entertainment enter their job description

                                                 replied TenEighteen Garden

Where’s that?

Illinois

I asked if you could go anywhere in the world?

I heard TenEighteen

                      Was my childhood home razed twenty years ago  It doesnt exist

If I coud go anywhere Id go there

I meant in the real world.

Shoud have been more specific  nuanced

                                            Know exactly wha it is ya mean to ask an ask as plainly thoroughly as possible

Takes a little work

looked like he wanted to sigh

                          disregarding him the receptionist pointed the remote at the flatscreen mounted on the wall went through a variety of commands in order to find a channel a London promotional a touristy program  . . . getting to know you getting to know all about you

immediatelygrabbed the woman attention she had been surfing her smartphone

    It takes a little work

he ignored him

                which didnt bother him

he didnt ask the patentlystupid question

0836,  Tuesday,  29  4. 25

1201,  reggaefriday,  2  5. 25

Bing Crosby  Getting to Know You  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1LNc0RRhnw

he crossed the lawn to AWe capitalA capitalW lowercaseE  the name of the wisteria he grew from a seed after failing for years

                       her foliage everything inanimate everything machinery every plant  a she  her foliage had been coming on gangbusters all Spring and he endeavored not to interfere not influence her growthdirection

    but he did

he directed a tendrilothers came with it to a fourbyfour square pressure-treated fence post  directed encouraged her growth upwards

influencers irked him      

                                he was not the Hand of Gawd

he was the Humble Hand of Joe

religions definitely countries around the world needed humbler hands

                                                                           this humble seed found its germination determination from a fabulous wisteria he grew outside his apartment which over time scaled the long downspout from the second floor eavesspraawled across the shingled roof

                                                                                         from one of its seeds

his daughter grew another in Los Angeles  after failing for years

this humble seed was from her wisteria

her initials are A  W

 0902,  reggaefriday,  2  5. 25

Edison Lighthouse  Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0KaK4mLBpk  Joey Heatherton at 2:03 minute-marker

when someone is ignorant it falls to others to stepup and inform them that theyre wrong reveal their error

if they refuse to accept what is true

                                       then stridently loudly hed tell them they were ignorant

    felons ignorant  disappointed him that he couldnt tell him to his face

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89JJcUHqC30

Hey bucko  said mariachi

New term of endearment whardidya pick tha up

Around

My stuffed-to-the-gills card catalog

Is tha wha tha is

It is

    Krazy stuffed packed in there

Crazy with a K

Korrect

Correct with a K

Khrist

With a K

          Youre havin too much funyour point

My point

           Careful whaya wish for

To his face

Yah

Yah

Yah

    Wha  Are we Beatles

1032,  reggaefriday,  2  5. 25

. . . replenishyes  wha interrupted himself

                                                      rocked back on his heelshe knew

to replenish garlic powder cinnamon  tea

replenish turmeric had bay leaf garlic onions beans Better Than Bouillon mushrooms root vegetables  greenleafy vegetables

                      needed moremore glass pitchers to retain moonwater

    moon

full moons

             had crystals  the water   pet ashes  family    under them

Ashes

       Arya fuckin kiddin me      Like I deserve this laughed hyenaously

like anything is deserved in this flimsyexcuse for A Life

                                                               When’s it going to get easier? she asked

Christhe loved her

                   Babe  Whoever told you itd get easier

she rockedback onto her heels like he punched her

he could have been kinderbut for what affect

                                                       he wanted her woundedcauterised at the same time

seared

           then unforgotten

this  inventory   list    was her job

she was the fuckinwitch

                            every woman is

he conceded

             pitied cunts who walkedround  strutted  thoughtbelieved   they strutted

women didnt intimidate him

                                 he dugem  

2114,  Thursday,  1  5. 25

he put an unwashed carrot to his mouth

                                            like a .38   wondered

if he played Russian roulette

                                thought of from where they grew

Mary contraryMarys silver bells and cockleshells phosphorus nitrogen potassium calcium boron compost

    crossed his fingers  coffee grounds too

wouldnt think an unwashed carrot was as risky as  say    chicken   salmonella

                                                                                      Simon says

carrote 

garrote

ligature

         Gads

going off his rocker

humouring himself

casually playing with words

by his choice

no ones around

                     no one to affect his solitude   solicitude

desperately critical

hes criticised

                family   what few friends

but they didnt know or wouldnt want to know what he did

                                                              he couldnt blame them

this has been his path since  thats of no matter 

his purpose was himselfnot selfishly  or greedily

                                                      contending with himself was a fucking handful

he

spared

them

   pulled the trigger  not much grit crunchy    tasty

colour orange reminded him of carrotsof the young carrots he snuck over and pilfered from old lady Grishams garden

when she caught him she beat him with a broom until he escaped over her loosened wire fence into the ash alleyway

his mother and grandmother were friends with old lady Grisham

                                                                       she never once ratted him out

apparently

               their private little game

2122,  Tuesday,  29  4. 25

1249,  Thursday,  1  5. 25

It's crazy how you do that.  she put her hand up to block the sun

                                                                         Three oclock over the sycamore

adjusted her head  Ahthere.

                                I see. 

Smaller than the other ones today.

Redtail? Redshoulder?

Tail

    she peered hardermoved her head with the hawks flight  Tail.  Yes.

Smallish.

Yes

they watched as heshe shehe surfed the skycried  cried until they lost herhim behind a deep reef of oak

So awesome.

Without a doubt

    How do you do that?

Do tha

Find them.  More often without a cry you point them out.

I senseem No

                  I hear hawks

Not a soundBingo, you point.

Perhaps athletics  High School

                                  Four years a Hawk

You

A tiger.

Tigress

          made her smile   Yes. Correct.  A tigress.

Soccer  Gymnast   Swimmer

You remember.

Need only look at your body for confirmation reminder

she reached over grippedpatted his knee  You’re a prince.  

Youre a peach

A prince and a peach.

                          Possibilities.

To be enjoyed as we ferret  exploreem

    That’s what you call that . . . exploring?

If we didnt how woud we know   winked lasciviously

she blushed

               That’s all on you.

Cant help myself

No you can’t.  You’re the idea guy.

I be he

You are.

          Wonderful fantastic ideas.

Which you also insist . . . occur to you out of the blue.

he noddedhead bobbed emphatically

                                        Out of the blue  Them    The hawks

You quoteunquote . hear them.

Coud be the silverblue atmosphere ticklingticking their wings their feathers

                                                                                  Silent sound of anointment

Anointed.

              I really really like that.

I like sharing with you

                           Another Bloody Mary

That’d be divine.

                   Did you divine that too?

You ponder  anwhile ya do keep your eyes peeled for herhim or others

                                                                            Back in a flash

he gathered their glasses from Greek tile coasters off the small oval weatheredwood table between them and crossed the patio to the house

she watched him walk away

                                 reminded her when she first saw him how she hopedcrossed her fingers hed look as good coming back

2322,  Wednesday,  30  4. 25

1117,  Thursday,  1  5. 25

his birthday was early April

his kid brother Irish twin late March

he texted him  :  :  I’m gonna miss April. You miss March?

she smiled warmly butter melting on top a poached egg freshcrushed black peppered as he read it to her

                                                                                                     You think you’re going to miss April.

Know  Not think

                  I know Ill miss it

And your brother?

He hasnt responded I wont assume

Don’t you think that’s odd?

Odd asif odd sounded odd

I’ve not considered December.

Maybe now you will tha I have mentioned it

Maybe.

What . . . it is that you’ll missif you can say?

                                                 Your expression confirms . . conveys your . loss.

Thank you Feels like a loss a sudden disconnect  longing Nothing substantial earthshaking happened

    Cant put my finger on it

Miss April?

    Miss March

                       Miss April

she pursed her lips a smile fevered to part them dimples began to show

                                                                              If I didn’t know better.

You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were talking about Playboy playmates.

Yowza

2244,  Wednesday,  30  4. 25

0950,  Thursday,  1  5. 25