--   They had bones and meat for dinner

greens  and other-coloured vegetables

bread and butter  liquor and wine  coffee and cake

what else could they want  how much more could they consume  and still be happy

and not be uncomfortable ?

              

What was their tipping point

when is the balance awry

their content conceited

their ill contempt apoplectic 

--

--

--   And youre looking to me

after a speech like that

Ive nothing to commend or add repeal or reply

I didnt eat with them

or had to

--   You have to rub it in

--   You didnt have to eat with them  You cant tell me you  no you cant  not in your heart 

of hearts

that you didnt see em coming

It wouldnt have been any different than if you were slopping pigs  giving them credence  

treating them kindly  with respect

You shouldnt have expected anything but bollocks in return

They think youre a pushover

Youve conceded to them

--   I think I would have preferred it  if you had nothing to say as you originally intimated

--   You goaded me

--   Maybe I did

--   No You did

--   I did

--   So how do you intend to trim their sails now

--   Now

--   Now that youve set this precedence

--   You think this is a precedence

--   It precedes anything  that comes after it

--   Well  then afterwards  Im afraid  is going to be a shock to the system

 

--   Shocking  To be sure

--   Horrific  Certainly

--   Unadulterated

--   Its going to bitch em

--   Theyll shit

--   I can count on you then to come to dinner

--   I wouldnt miss it for the World

--   Then Im penciling you in

--   Ive got a MagicMarker

--   You a bit of a sadist arent you

--   Sadistically  I couldnt enjoy being a masochist

--   Dinner  What to serve
--   Bones and meat

--   And

--   Bones and meat  Well steal their dogs first and really make them uncomfortable 

--

--   Comon  Ill bring a stick  Well throw it  You throw it from the head of the table and cry 
Fetch!

--   Youre cruel
--   Im not

Youre the one who set them up with a precedence

And now you have to pull them back down to Earth real hard  And not protect their heads   
Theyre big boys and girls

--   Seems unfortunate

--   Seems you made it more unfortunate than necessary  But make no mistake

It is necessary

0046,  Twosday,  9  9. 14     

His eyes werent what they once were

but there was an astonishing takeaway in their  --  he laughed  --  their poor peering

this evening outside on the wraparound porch  he leaned at its railing to take in the ascending 

lunar prelude to the ninths Super Moon

had he seen what everyone else with good eyes saw

it wouldnt have been as compelling

rather

to the south over a reef of black silhouetted trees

he saw the bright pearl of the moon emerge from behind a black cloud and dangle 

almost like a lure  for then  from the west two mad wolves on a rush came towards it

they were in full gallop  full lather  tongues lolling  teeth bared

it seemed the moon were a sudden bone  a knob  a humeral head  and they

they were trying to outrun and outmuscle the other to feast at its brilliant white sheath

its darling marrow within

he heard their snarls and spits as they snapped at each others muzzle and lips  at their ears laidflat  their throbbing jugulars

he heard the thumps of their heavy shoulders at each other  trying to throw the other off stride 

or off their pure line to the moonbone

though none of it was enough

and before they could launched themselves at it

a black cloud  its edges bleeding  stark  nefarious  like ganglion  trimmed in silverwhite 

vivaciousness swept over the piquing drama

hiding the moon  the bone

hiding the snarling wolves  scuttling and muting their snarls bays and howls

the black cloud seemed aware of him

it boiled growing larger and larger  and drew nearer and nearer

frightened it would engulf him he fled back into the house

he heard it rub itself across the roof and at the sides of the house  the tines or scales of a snake 

a dry husk abrading  scratching at windows  shuttering them  and they going blind and dull 

their faces bleak  and effaced

it sounded like a silent hungry animal

the bone  not enough

the wolves  not enough

he stood in the livingroom  still  scarcely breathing  like a mouse

he must have fallen asleep standing up

for when she gently touched his shoulder he thought he woke

outdoors  he could hear the birds calling dawn

--   Were you up all night love

--   I must have been  Im exhausted

Did you hear the sounds at the house last night

--   No  I had a hard time falling to sleep because of the moonlight  It was awfully bright

I could see it through my eyelids

--   Did you see the moonlight falter

--   No  But it must have  because I finally did fall asleep

I think  maybe  I heard you come in from outside

Uuh  Youre cold  Come lay with me a bit and Ill warm you up  Maybe well fall back to sleep

--   Im tired  I could fall asleep

--   Did the dogs keep you awake then

--   Dogs

--   I thought I heard a dogfight   though maybe they were in my dreams  or during the twilight 

just before I fell asleep  during hypnagogia

--   How do you remember hypnagogia always  I can never remember that word

--   And thats why Im here  Come  Lets lay down  Maybe the dogs will start again

--   No  I dont think so

--   So sure arent you

--   No  Theyre gone sweetheart  They wont be back

0000,  Sunday,  8  9. 14