Finger through tar race chariots of fire
One view, two views, three views, four
One like, two likes, then no more
Tag: short read
Die, Mug, Silence
The waitress stopped at the coffee maker and began reloading her pot. She glanced back at his table; the mug still locked in his hand.
Outlook, Violation, Thumb
Lemuel looked down at his first tattoo, a small black lemon on his right wrist. Made from the ink of octopi and squid pulled up, boiled down and inked by the “daubers”.
Insist, Nap, Meaning
Of swirling dust, giant tumbleweeds, snorting horses, distant gunshots, crying children and a woman’s embrace.
Strap, Navy, Onion
One hand fumbled for something inside a shirt. A necklace made of wooden beads all cascading down on a fishing line that ended in a lower case “t”.
Twin, Undertake, Continental
The DJ booth was right in front of me, blocking the quickest route. I turned left. Something licked my right ear. I looked.
Offspring, Forward, Tin
When she felt the pressures of all that is external tightening her body, she would let the curves, slopes and speed of a ride loosen her up.
Today
She wore the band t-shirt I gave her before COVID cancelled the concert. I wore the band shirt she gave me the night before I wouldn’t see her for weeks after.
Memories
If what I think is true then ill have a cigarette, hell ill have a black and mild and suck it back until it melts the plastic or burns the wood.
Golf
It was true. In those moments however, when those men came with the full knowledge that we had not come close to anyone in the tournament, I wanted to play to win. Fuck fun, I wanted murder.
Blackout Drinking
My threshold for surprise is changing right before my eyes, which are going blind. Oh god pull over now. Jesus. Ive never felt worse in my life.
Night writing
A lonely moonlit bassoon plays discordant notes in my mind. Sympathy bangs the timpani and I scowl.
Telling Dad I drink too much
Hey dad, I think I drink too much.
A lunch from a long time ago
A lunch with my Aunt in which I cannot clearly remember if I was intoxicated or not. I remember itching for a cigarette as soon as I wolfed down the turkey salad on rye.
Shitstorm
Blackout. Either way alcohol nurtures society but absolutely obliterates the individual.
You or me
And so, remember, I wrote this under a yellow porch light, slapping at mosquitoes, coughing up smoke from wild fires and thinking of me or you, or me.
The Fool’s Pleading
The echoes of rejoicing muted by the island’s sands. Drowned by waves of realization that we are sound itself reverberating off of infinity’s pretzel-ed pipe.
Social Security
The castles moved straight,
the horses made hooks
as the black and white shapes met their fate.
My first song after choosing to be sober
I look around at the others seated at the table. I don’t know yet if they’re people. I haven’t even figured out if I am to be human for the evening.
Kids
We bullshit some more. The couple danced. I can never remember names. Then the girl danced alone. I was towing the line between drunk and insanity.
Sabbath Mourning
When skunks didn’t remind me of smoking and mint was just for candy. When a quarter was more valuable in my piggy bank than in my pocket.
Vitriol
If you’re really against “flaming hot cheetos” that run “democracies” (your word, not mine) like dictators, then either put a bullet in his head or give your jabbering jaw a little slack. I know at least my ears will stop ringing from all your white noise, and it is white noise in more ways than one.
I am a man
I have a hot temper
I am confident in changing a tire
I tremble when jumping a car battery
I was a lover
The question of my last breath is either sober or whiskey soaked. The continuous monologue in my mind reaches the end of its reel. I am not making sense but its my senses that make me.
Where are my teeth?
The tooth fairy took all your teeth but I think she also has your innocence, and you never saw a dime.
What it’s like to meet a wonderful woman in the midst of divorce.
You’re grateful, excited and ready to move on but at the same time you’re wondering what happened, always wondering what happened, so that you’re not doomed to repeat your mistakes with the unicorn who touched your arm and said hello.
Hall, Light, Doctor
The light in the hall has two switches, never pointing in the same direction. One is always up. One is always down.
Block, Oral, Solve
Okay, I’ll have to perform orally. Actually I’m more comfortable with the term verbally if that’s alright with you?
Exemption, Marine, Slot
The two made their way to the bar in silence, glancing at each other every so often. He looked down at his drink and around the flashing lights and sounds. She adjusted her cap and looked around at the flashing lights and sounds.
Race, Cry, Item
furs blur
cotton tails fly
shells drag
Heads stir
Qualify, Screen, Reaction
Tear down the bricks
Tear up the flix
Tear down the walls
Tear up the dolls
Tear down the malls
Tear of the curtain to see all the tricks.
Presence, Genuine, Recommendation
Haunting impressions of weight all around
Hairs raise, spine tingles, eyes dart
Feelings unnoticed when presence is visible
Projection, Obstacle, Hour
Why should his sanity ever be in question when it swam in the same pool of saturated judgements and opinions as those who were insane and those who labeled others insane. It was all the same doggie paddle, just different ends of the pool.
Sex, Win, Deposit
Adventurous fingers
traversing dunes, peaks and valleys
pushing in territorial flags
Cover, Relation, Hilarious
An empire of
foxtails
dust
rotted fence posts
chipping paint
Trace, Estimate, Satisfaction
“If I had to guess, you have about 10 to 15 minutes of living left to do. That’s a gift in my book, not many people are given the satisfaction of knowing how much time they have before, well you know.”
Bus, Defeat, Miracle
The rain drops on the window made all the head lights look like shooting stars passing him. No one was walking the streets. Homeless were huddled at bus shelters, doorways and underneath shop overhangs.
And I write.
And wolves
drip bloody howls
into snow.
Pilot, Hair, Wolf
Follicles salute bloody snouts. Extending past split ends, peering at red snow, hearing howling, growling and snarls.
Cope, Oppose, Manage
After climbing back to the sand, you lay down, exhausted. The tide begins lapping at your feet, your legs, your thighs, your hands and you remember.
Spirit, Reflection, Amber
At dusk, the end glows like ancient amber lodged in a fossilized tree. It’s color dimming and brightening with each inhale or gust of wind.
Production, Costume, Healthy
He stood, stage right, peeking out of the curtain, watching them. Some opened the programs, others sipped drinks and in the balcony, a few focused their binoculars. They were nearly ready.
False, Leave, Posture
We may tell ourselves they are prudent choices but the heart plants a seed of doubt and only time will tell us if that doubt will grow into regret or die buried deep.
Resort, Trait, Separation
I started walking down the street. There were luxury shops I had seen in downtown’s across the U.S. and Europe. There were street vendors selling the things I had seen about this place on television and movies. I got the sense that they had set up shop for all the backpack carrying people who needed sunscreen applied every 2 hours.
Base, Meet, Deep
Because he had reached out to loved ones, they began reaching out to him. But the darkness was taking over, even if he didn’t realize it. One day he was in its shadow and the next he was swallowed whole.
Retain, Function, Analysis
Like those bottles and cans waiting to be tossed, I too shiver at the thought of needing more. A deep valley, is my body, slowly filling with the trickle of some Joshua tree property hose.
Reasons to drink
I grew up in the land where 14-year-olds built houses in foreign countries. Where 15-year-olds drove Mercedes-Benz and 16-year-olds started thinking about their parent’s colleges.
Peasant, Delay, Banquet
Never mind, he thought, fuck this banquet. My friend is always celebrating stupid shit and rubbing in every little hickey he gets from lovers or extra chicken McNugget he gets from McDonald’s to all the people he knows. Fuck him.
Rugby, Hair, Hammer
A cube of marble with arms, a chest, stomach, legs and feet with none of the ripples and bumps of a completed piece. He was a block.
Patience, Large, Presidency
It’s not a question of purpose. To treat purpose like some treasure to be found with or without a map is to take away ones own intrinsic value. I believe, for me, it is a matter of finding what is next. What will be. What may be, if I simply try.
