Black Friday
simple arithmetic
1,183,390 Trumpvirus deaths as of today
1,181,620 deaths as of November7
1,770
dead over the last 17 days
104
Americans died per day
TRUMPVIRUS
2244, Reggaefriday,
24 11. 23
24.11.23
Awright he thought as he tapped a
fivegallon white plastic bucket with his foot Whodthought
Id see this again yet alone within a hafhour of the first
also A third time wont be a
charm No luck involved AT ALL
the first was a discarded box
haphazardly tossed into a leggy bush
whoever threw it didnt intend to
hide it
the box was just off and up from the intersection
of the city sidewalk and the entry/exit of a grocery market parking lot
homeless commingled there
couldnt
begin toYes yes he could hed have to guess four
maybe five times twothree squads fourfive cops rousting one two
three homeless men
he walked through themthey had
taken up the whole of the sidewalk from curb to dirt and crabgrass
Excuse me gentlemen he
said prior to entering their knot taking the book down from his face that he
read as he walked
he zigzagged
the cops the apparently about-to-be
arrested were agog he walked through them he wore tandem expressions Aint-none-of-my-business Im-walkin-here
he emerged
unscathed
it was the discarded boxs
colourful almostJapanese-label that caught his attentionhis attention always
ridden by his curiosity I
wanna see Whastha Wannabet
he crossed the smutty weedy
crapgrass yardfor lack of an alternate
description to the bush and the box and
tipped it with the toe of his boot
inside
were crushed beer cans empty beer bottles emptied clearliquor pints paper fastfood
wrappers AND a hefty fan of scratched Lottery tickets had to be two dozen or more made him think if
spiralbound would have made a decent stenopad or cops ticketpad
who knew that booze
and lottery tickets went together kindalike
bums on baloney sandwiches peanut
butter and jelly Ariane and Sephora
the plastic bucket looked like a
castoff painters bucket but was clean-as-a-whistle inside
it stood on end in the middle of
a disusedcorrupting parking lot in front of a derelict storefront a chaineddown padlocked Commercial Real
Estate sandwichboard stood on the shallow porch
the continuity couldnt be more disparate
Wonderwhy
he did
stepped over a chain bellied between two
rusting posts guarding either side of the drive a paintedflaking metal licenseplatesized
sign NO
TRESPASSING was bolted to the chain
evidently trespassing was allowed
the bucket wasnt Star Trek teleported
he looked inside it GUESSWHA
more
empty beer cans liquor bottles scratched Lottery tickets
did the state know thawas a thing
he sure as fuck didnt
Does a bums luck ever change
1430, day-between-2-Ts, 15 11.
23
1045, Reggaefriday,
24 11. 23
23.11.23
third iteration
over time
first off the cuff June 17, 2007
a Sunnyday
rewrite September 2
again
yet another Sunnyday 430ishness
February 10, 2008
I am in a place
where shirts feel like
straitjackets buttoned wrists fuckin
button at his throat
pants fit like knotted bondage
a place where the air in my lungs is smoke
prisoner
bound
no escape
no birds will feed
not insects or worms
Ive become dull tasteless plastic
the spicedmarrow of my bones shrunken
I am
some other thing
300PMpreferred, Thursday – Thanksgiving, 23 11.
23
You look steamed
I am you said you were coming.
I said thank you for the invitation
I didnt blow you off
A thank you implies you accepted.
his head pulled back instinctually
avoiding a cheap shot
No
Yes.
No
Yes.
he wondered if this could become interminable
and as quickly decided it could
I thanked you for the invitationdid I say
Ill be there
Better What can I bring because
I don go anywhere without asking if I can bring something
Do I
No.
sounded better
than his Yes bell tolling
Thank you
You’re welcome.
I thought you would come.
There was a chance then it
happened and I was enjoying myself too too much
droll You were home alone . . by . yourself
Yes at
last his turn
Enjoying my company
By yourself?
Sorry friend you shoud know by now
Your company cant
compete with mine
0303preferred, Thursday – Thanksgiving, 23 11.
23
Frank Sinatra My Way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQzdAsjWGPg
Jesus
Sometimes competent
What are you bitching about, funnyguy?
Crazy how you read the newspaper and on occasion find it necessary to blurt out
words, words without context, and, I think, expect me to be able to read your mind know what you’re complaining about; because you’re complaining.
Irritated Irritated
Im more irritated than
complaining or bitchin
What’s bugging you?
Im incredulous Although I shouldnt be
Of everyone I know . . . you . I would think you being incredulous odd. Must have really came in from left field.
Came in from outside the park
Outside?
Incredulous
Awright. You’ve piqued my
interest. I’ll listenyou'll excuse me I don’t want to eat cold eggs.
he made her breakfast in the
morning
his obligation since he wearied her
to the bone last nightearly this morning
this morning realised that
incredulous and insatiable were tandem
No Please Eat your breakfast
Another slice of toast
No thank you. I think I’ve
enough.
he didnt tell her but he made her
a four egg scramble veggies cheeses he
wearied her pretty good last night
Ohmy, I’m so hungry this morning.
Bingo Confirmation he smiled to himself More orange juice coffee
talking around food in her mouth
Mure coffee please. Are there
more country potatoes?
There are
May I have more of them?
You do such a good job. she chewed Always have refrigerated boiled potatoes . .
. . When Im going to
see you You bet your ass theres more
potatoes Would you like the scrap also .
.
.
. Peease.
If you weren’t.
Im not Im good
You had fruit and oatmeal didn’t
you?
Ya know me so well You were sleeping I didnt want to make a lot
of noise
And you went out for sweet rolls.
Right around the corner baby
Mistakenly I bought the paper
she smiledshoveled more scramble
into her mouth
You didn’t buy the
paper by mistake.
No My mistake was reading
it
she took a bite of a thickcut rasher
wiped baconfat from her lip with a knuckle and licked her knuckle
Awright. Tell me of your anguish.
Thought Id pop
Stop.
You’re small talk is every bit as
sweet as your pillow talk.
he grinned
Tell me more
Shaddup.
Competency.
Yah Competent
Would you hire
someone who was Wait for it he scraped the country potatoes from the castiron skillet onto her plate
Hire someone who was sometimes competent
Sometimes . competent? Thank
you.
Are you kidding me?
No
What are you talking about?
An prominent talkinghead an attorney
is quoted as referring to formers employees as
and I quote Sometimes
competent But always loyal
Seems a stupid trade-off to me
she set her coffee cup downlicked
her shiny greasy upper lip
Stupid. But what did you expect?
Yah
Hence Incredulous
she smiled ridiculously dimples deep leaned across the table gave him a deep breakfastykiss
leaned back
You’re my guy.
Damn Your breakfast is tasty
1602, day-between-2-Ts, 22 11.
23
1326,
Thursday, 23 11.
23
I am your retribution Superstar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lSZ2cb9has
Lee Michaels Do You Know What I Mean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY9iVKQPeXA
Ringo George Harrison It Don’t Come Easy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSRkfYu4wrA
THANKFUL formers
not
Isaiah Berlin wrote The Hedgehog
and the Fox in 1951
a critic E. H. Carr responded
that what Berlin had really said was that any political program carried to an
extreme will have authoritarian consequences so it would be better to avoid the political concluding he wrote “Surtout, point de zele.” taking the phrase from Charles Maurice
de Talleyrand-Perigord a diplomat who
skillfully survived the French Revolution “Above all, gentleman, no zeal.” Berlin liked it so much he adopted it as his
motto for the rest of his life
George F. Kennan American historian and diplomat best known as a strident advocate of a policy
of containment of Soviet expansion during the Cold War his critique was that totalitarianism takes advantage of peoples weaknesses
manipulates “the irrational sides of their nature . . . what preserves us from
being manipulated is the recognition that although we are imperfect, our
problems are susceptible to solution by rational processes, and should be so
approached and solved.”
by rational processes, and should be
so approached and solved
hence the weak irrational former can be solved absorbed eliminated by recognising he is
by recognising there is one
political party in America called the Democrats Republicans are not their equivalent and will not be until they embrace governance embrace seeking compromised solutions to
problems the nation faces provides a thoughtful
political platform
NOT UNTIL
he was invested in common sense invested in not being anyones pawn able to think for himself
not take orders
0952, Thursday – Happy Thanksgiving, 23 11.
23
22.11.23
I got a Thanksgivings Eve thought briefly
You, brief?
I can be brief
Awright, what you got?
Historical law precedent
A little
thing called misprision which the former is guilt of
Youll have to tune me in.
The deliberate concealment of
ones knowledge of a treasonable act or felony
I didn’t know that.
You know what else
What?
Wait for it
Waiting . . .
Misprision ought to park formers ass in prison Funhuh
2200, Monday,
20 11. 23
1525
5s!, day-between-2-Ts, 22 11.
23 President Kennedy assassinated 60
years ago
Thas something you don see every
day he motioned his head leftkept looking
driver glanced at himquickly followed his motion
What?
Wha Its still happening
driver looked quickly again
I’m not seeing anything.
Its still happening
I cant believe
itId think something out of the ordinary woud immediately capture your attention
I didn’t see anything.
And its done
I gotta tellya your eyes are shit for detail
I’m
driv . .
.
. Theres no traffic youre not doing fifteen miles an hour its a worked dirt
road drivin to the top of the Dump
Whoya gonna
kill
I’m driving.
Shit excuse
It’s not. I’m being a
conscientiou . .
.
. My ass Yare makin excuses
Had I been driving Idve seen it
You don’t know
that.
I do Even driving I see comets strafestreak the sky
This was cometish something waaay
out of the ordinary thawoud
I think natural attract someones eyes If theyre observantI don think you are an tha
goes for seeing things when yare not drivin
Fuck you.
No fuck you the worlds going by
anyare missin it
So says someone who walks around town reading books.
Might wanna think tha through
What’s to think?
The hunreddollar bill I found on
the street the loose change Glancing
over the top of the book I see the lay of the land whos approaching me hear
who or whats coming up behind me . .
. . Yeahyeah. So what did you see?
Were in the Dump Things are dumped
You’re point.
Dumped things are inertagree
Inert?
Lack the fuckin ability to move Inanimateyah
Okay. Yes. I agree.
Fuck Me
An automobile tire by itself rolled more than onehunred yards It was making a break Nobody was
watching
You saw it.
Im nobody
1130, 2sday,
21 11. 23
1102,
day-between-2-Ts, 22 11. 23
60years ago President Kennedy was assassinated; 1916 Jack London died at
40
went down early last night
had
hiked in the hillsneeded to breatheleave people at his heels gratefully he didnt come across anyone
so
he tuckered out earlier than his usual early morning
he wokehad been dreaming of a
woman repeatedly incanting her point of personal privilege as she
did she patted the empty bed at her hip
her
privilege he have sex with her
why wouldnt
he
she looked like
Jaclyn Smith in her heyday
waking he had to use the bathroom
finished urinating washed his hands it was still dark
he crossed the hall into his
studio eyeballed the shelf where he knew a travel clock to be he said to one of
his cats who appeared suddenly at his feet Im gonna shit if theres a five in the time hed been dancing with 5s in the
morning all week he flipped the overhead light On5:45 then Off Wha the hells tha all about
gave
him something to ponder as he laid back down
the cat beat him to bed
Leftie whadayathink
she didnt think much kneaded the blanket between his legs at his
crotch curledup sighed she was going to
sleep
he thought it wasnt 5 5 5 S S S 2
2 2not going down tha rabbithole again
Whawas with the woman
point of personal privilege how did her privilege precede his woud he have incanted his woud she have come to bedYes
You
so sure hombre a mariachi asked
Yes
How
I lucid dream
You do
I coud have made her do anything
I wanted
You coud
I coud have twisted her like a
pretzel dipped her in spiced mustard an nibbled her at my pleasure
Yes
If I may
Yes he had to think about it
She certainly had her way with
you
She did
Do you think maybe she
lucid dreamed you
he was stunned I hadnt thought of tha
Two sides multiple faceted sides to everything
Yes
Thank you for reminding me
Happy to . . .
he fell back to sleep
day-between-2-Ts, 22 11.
23
0934, day-between-2-Ts President Kennedy assassinated 60 years ago
Rodrigo Rodriguez Come Back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zgXDsBYmXU
21.11.23
he caught the effervescent dance
of a butterflys shadow on the polishedconcrete coffeeshop floor where it
appeared to sliplose its footing careenwildly haphazardly between the round café
tables the hard sharpedged chair legs between oblivious patrons flitting across their shoeleather
strapped sandals laced gymshoes
people
turned with their drink in hand stepping on it but the shadow instantaneouslypainlessly
came up through their feet to playing at their laces buckles flaps
he sighed
he was grateful it couldnt be
smashedgrateful when it alighted on the shelved
brownbagged pounds of beans and casually deliberately stretchedflexed its
wings which paced the beating of his heart
he smiled
at least something else was deliberately taking a pause
he felt a kinship with the lepidoptera
O pterodactyl
he laughed outloud disturbed the table of cackling women beside him whose breathless
conversations were of either a soap opera The Voice Dancing with Stars or some other
bullshit that aired the night before its
drama was their drauma
he disturbed a clutch of
young men at another table who were strugglingnoisy with their Fantasy pro
basketball picks evidently pro football
picks has metastasized they had money
riding on the outcomes
then
the shadow of the white butterfly he
saw it through the plateglass window departed he stoodtook
his off the floor and left disappointed by the tables entertainments which had breathlesslyinsinuated itself into their
lives necessary perhaps required had become a living
thing
which was the parasite
Reggaefriday, 18 11.
05
1515, 2sday,
21 11. 23
Reznor & Ross Eventually We Find Our Way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6i2qpf8LhQ
ouroboros
thasawesome 4 Os
2 nights back 4 Os exploded from her throat
when she went off Oooohfuck
awwbaby
she moaned Oooohya got me good babe got
me good her head backspine archedhands
clenching a fistful of hairYAHhe got her he meted her beat rhythm synched his tongue nose
chin gently teeth to her unabating grind
the tension finally went out of her neck her chin came forward she relaxed she lookedlazily at him between her thighs madgrinning
Ouroboros to himself he
always listened to himself a few others Arya really gonna bitch ifya go out where ya
came in Im not I didnt want to knockup anybody get stuck
paying for an abortion get shackled in a bad marriage dance with parents who
may have been against I disagree You’ll
shut up she’s our daughter. Abortion is murder.
Nobody ought to get stuck with
something they don want
I bought condoms it was a rite of passage drugstore kept them behind the counter had to ask a pharmacist
Thank you.
No.
You said we coudnt have sex
without a rubber
I agreed
I changed my mind.
If I may
Why
God doesn’t approve.
he
didnt restrain the wag of his head Who
I’m serious. I’ve given it thought.
God doesn’t approve.
Im not having sex with Gawd
Ouroboros to himself Ive know assknow pussy there was a time when I didnt know either If this is where it ends me by myself
Im cool Ouroboros
2053, Sunday,
19 11. 23
1011, 2sday,
21 11. 23
Reznor/Ross Please Take Your Hand Away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypyNyfExz58
20.11.23
Richard Slotkins Regeneration Through Violence
a heady
title not a book he could have through
his library
unfortunately books he
wanted to read were becoming increasingly rare an more so with the advent of ebooks audiobooks
others rather than physical texts
he
was a physical text
not a sleeve to be emptieddeposited refilled
said of the book “. . . persuasive
and eloquent arguments made for including and remembering, rather than for
merely giving focus to or encoding crucial historical experience . . .”
American mythology which many take as gospel truth it
aint
Slotkin utilised an epigraph from D. H. Lawrence his Studies of Classic American Literature tha is an ebook through his library SURPRISE
“But you have there the myth of
the essential white America. All the other stuff, the love, the democracy, the
floundering into lust, is a sort of by-play. The essential American soul is
hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. not
to be celebrated if one is an American It has never
melted.”
American mythology
the reason of this preamble is
to understand how he got to Joseph Conrads quote which chilled him “death illuminated by unresponsive eyes”
from John Scalzis Old Man’s War:
“And there’s just one of me
again.
The other me. I can tell because I’m no longer staring at the new me anymore, I’m
looking at the old me.
And it stares at me likes it
knows something truly strange has just happened.
And then the stare seems to say ‘ I’m no longer needed.’
And then it closes its eyes.”
in the Old Mans case transference rather than death however the lonely uninhabited body shell has died expired is meat
whahave you
“unresponsive eyes” got him
tossed him to the grim lions inside
himself for the unresponsive eyes hes beheld
he might not be – though unlikely
– not be as twisted if the eyes were those of strangers rather than people he
loved
sometimes
he just had to say it outloud
set it down
be
unburdened
it will still be there to carry after he composed himself rested
Reggaefriday, 19 8.
05
1131,
Monday, 20 11. 23
things can aggregate or come
apart when playing
he was a dabbler dauber amused
commence seedling ripe with possibilities
seedling seedy
seedyling seedylings
seeddysling see-eddy-slings
seedyslings
– coudbe porn coudbe belittling posts
see-eddy-slings – tha thawoud
come off an eddy he imagined shotput or
disc anything expelled from a vortex
playing
yearlings
yearnlings
starlings
starelings
– voyeurs
startlings
– upset by voyeurs
playing
deepbreath
attic
antic
addict
edict
panic
frantic
frenetic
freenergetic
– free energetic
freegenetics
freeeugenics
freergenetics
freehermeticism
freehermit
freemimetic
freed
freed of greed
now he was really playing
Reggaefriday, 19 8.
05 (might suppose better late than never)
1005, Monday,
20 11. 23
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)