Wednesday, February 29, 2012

NIGHT GAME

The cluttered table sauced with the darkness of the room was encumbered by several mouths yawning bad breath into an enlarged clot of a setting.  There were these window washers never you mind around the table sauced with the darkness of the room was encumbered by several mouths yawning bad breath into an enlarged clot of a setting.  There were these window washers never you mind.


So like it was like it was only being spoken in the head you know the mind never you mind never you know the mind fuck there it goes again not happening and it is in the never you mind mind not spoken at all and yet it makes that sound some sound is it a sound that it makes making this shit up fuck flat ducks is this what's on the agenda for the rest of this whatever someone's or some group someone's group or board of directionless or more so too directed backing their SUVs over whatever digression happens to be in the way digressing so like it was like it was only being spoken in the head there were these window washers but and but never you mind that now that sound it seemed to have made not spoken at all wait there is going to be a sneeze and what who someone else did it no that was a cough no that was a fart a short no it's still going it stopped finally it is being followed by another one no one is laughing  because maybe because the air quality is being twisted like this table sitting around farting around not laughing around around the round table actually octagonal hexagonal trapezoidal who picked this damn table? window washers never you mind spoken not spoken thoughts like making a tiny bubble between chapped lips and popping it with forced breath taking just enough out of it so that the nearest human being won't lay into you with a "is that really necessary?"  No, actually, it's not necessary.  Will leave right now or last week if you want if it wasn't for this failure surrounding or surrounded by darkness on both sides two halves of darkness believe their names are late evening and early morning walking this cloudy day of failure to this chair in the blackness of the room if it's still a room smells more like a rectum with a poker game jammed in its shit path being choked by another person's growing distemper will leave if it wasn't for this can't see a thing failure don't want you to have to have yourself get bumped into or hassled by this failure being escorted by the undertakers of social interaction.


Dudo: There were these window washers -
Hotmessier: Never you mind.
Rit: What do you think caused it?
Gwel-Nolan: Each one of us blowing methane out his ass.
Hotmessier: Don't forget Ethel give credit where credit is due.  No one deserves to be cut out when it comes to slicing up the cheese pizza when it comes to cutting a good one.
Ethel: I appreciate the inclusion, but all of these have not been good ones especially mine.


Never you mind no it's not it's not necessary actually not necessary will leave right now or last week if it wasn't for this can't see a thing like it's like liked it better when it was thoughts bordering on the edge of an exhaled bubble popping between chapped lips bordering on the edge of sound only to border on the edge of a chair somewhere at the end of the back that's running up against someone's dislike for silence kind of like purpose defeating the whole quiet without power was it there were these window washers.


Rit: That's not what I was asking about.
Gwel-Nolan: I know.  I prefer to fill the time imagining everyone including Ethel (thank you, Hotmessier) tilting in their chairs periodically.
Dudo: Periodically we have to tilt at something in the dark.
Ethel: I actually remembered a fragment of one of my dreams the other day.
Rit: Keep talking.  Eventually I will forget another one of my questions.
Ethel: I was lying on my stomach on a bed and I say that because it wasn't my own bed and I'm looking down at the floor the carpet in some bedroom and this guy has just left and I'm pretty sure he just told me that I'm next per my request.
Hotmessier: Per your request for what?
Ethel: To die and he left and went off to I think it was my left over here in the corner of my eye inside my head since I was dreaming it was just carrying on like it had been carrying on without me and with me since I had to remember it it had to float to the top like a toilet that won't flush.
Hotmessier: So some guy left to the left?  Like your driver side not your passenger side.
Ethel: These dreams I have we have keep running in the manner of someone forgetting to turn the TV off and they keep playing even if you're clearly on or in the driver side.
Gwel-Nolan: There was a manor in your dream where someone left a TV on on the left where the guy went?
Ethel: Did Bechdel leave?  I need to talk to her.
Gwel-Nolan: I think they were here less than a minute.  Of course, now have no idea what time it is or has been when I focus on now.  A lot of good focusing on now does.
Hotmessier: Do you remember anything else?
Ethel: Just the voice of this guy just off to the side and my knowing having this feeling and looking at the carpet this ugly beige carpet actually like the one I do have and it begins to blink the only way I can describe it blink or even crinkle and open up holes in the carpet like a film melting on a big theater screen and his voice the memory of the memory of it fills me with dread because suddenly I care about living with seeing the fucking ugly assed beige carpet and the voice is taking too long to come back and get it over with so I stay with the dread I felt before when I was I guess making my request.
Dudo: Rit, I think it was a solar storm.
Ethel: And the film never completely melts it just flaps in the heat of the projector bulb just flapping with a big gaping hole filling it with this suddenly caring garbage and the baby shit colored carpet staring and the voice is taking too long to come back too long the warped film flapping in the heat of life.
Dudo: Oh, there were these window washers -
Hotmessier: Never you mind.



The cluttered table sauced with the darkness of the room was encumbered by several mouths yawning bad breath into an enlarged clot of a setting.  There were these window washers never you mind around the table sauced with the darkness of the room was encumbered by several mouths yawning bad breath into an enlarged clot of a setting.  There were these window washers never you mind.


So like it was like it was only being spoken in the head you know the mind never you mind never you know the mind fuck there it goes again not happening and it is in the never you mind mind not spoken at all and yet it makes that sound some sound is it a sound that it makes making this shit up fuck flat ducks is this what's on the agenda for the rest of this whatever someone's or some group someone's group or board of directionless or more so too directed backing their SUVs over whatever digression happens to be in the way.




- Max Stoltenberg






Sunday, February 26, 2012

LAUNDRY

Cold air rushed up both sleeves of the short-sleeve shirt while looking over the metal box scuffed and dented from opening and reopening after shutting the lid and opening and reopening after shutting the lid and opening and reopening the metal box scuffed and dented from opening and reopening the cold air of the garage opening and reopening starting and restarting loading and reloading dirty clothes dirty socks dirty underwear dirty short-sleeve shirts where cold air rushed up both sleeves of the short-sleeve shirt dirty short-sleeve shirt while looking over the metal box scuffed and dented from opening and reopening after shutting the lid and opening and reopening after shutting the lid and opening and reopening the metal box scuffed and dented from opening and reopening.


Cold air rushed down the collar of the short-sleeve shirt while kneeling down on the concrete floor of the garage to check the status of the leaking water from under the wash it was coming out from under the wash had been coming out from under the wash for load upon load of dirty clothes dirty socks dirty underwear dirty short-sleeve shirts where cold air rushed down the collar of the short-sleeve shirt dirty short-sleeve shirt while kneeling down on the concrete floor of the garage to check the status of the leaking water from under the wash it was coming out from under the wash had been coming out from under the wash for load upon load of dirty clothes.


Cold air rushed through hair sweaty hair dirty hair graying hair graying sweaty dirty hair that the cold air rushed through opening and reopening the side patio door onto the side yard on the side of the yard on the side of some side of some world siding and residing on some side of some world where the cold air rushed through hair sweaty hair dirty hair graying hair sweaty dirty hair that cold air rushed through on some side of some world some where just when carrying out another pan another rolling pan stained from old paint from old rooms inside outside pouring out the leaking water from under the wash coming out from under the wash coming out from the rolling pan stained from old paint from old rooms inside outside pouring out the leaking water from under the wash coming out from under the wash coming out from the rolling pan stained from old paint from old rooms.


Nothing doing nothing a coming by happens to be coming by if and only if a coming by happens to be coming by just in time for a sinking feeling could have poured it all into the sink it never all goes in the sink never all with the opening and reopening after shutting the lid shutting the faucet after the running and rerunning of the water running under the sink under the kitchen under the house under the wash leaking water from under the wash coming out from under the wash coming out from the rolling pan stained from old paint from old rooms inside outside into mud from dirty clothes into water into mud from dirty clothes into dirty hair into graying into sweating into dirty hair into dirty clothes into dirty hair into muddy hair into out of opening reopening from inside to outside into mud.




- Max Stoltenberg

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

CAN'T POSSIBLY

Deterrents had populated the visible and invisible abscesses of the boarded up.  Can't get a purchase underneath the unusable all that has been purchased let alone a lifting anything up to discover the stains on the dirt collected let alone alone.  Holding pointing an index finger out into the burnt air as if emphasizing something to highlight as if as if and nothing comes of it except more accidents interrupted by intentions spoiling in a bowl let alone spoiling let alone alone.  Holding pointing an index finger or another call it what you like in circles running another thought wiping the inside of the rim with the mind with the thought let alone wiping let alone alone it went by too fast too fast by stagnant sockets clogged with a thin film of another invasive species of perception woke up again from something call it what you like in circles running another thought wiping the inside of the rim with call it what you like a mind wiping the inside of the rim with the mind the a a mind no longer inside of the rim wiping along and hitting scraping along the way hitting scraping stunning no longer stunning hands fingers which ones call them what you like in circles running another thought yes no indeed like the others the later the earlier ones thoughts running indeed like the others like this this one it runs runny with whatever holds it keeps it forming along the inside of the rim a dream something calling itself purporting to be a dream so-called call it what you like who the fuck are you anyway? punctuated it them with a mark right in the along the inside of the rim and heard the rattle of the corrugated metal patch sliding down along the outside of the rim of the rim of rim call it what call it no use calling it calling after it let alone calling after it let alone sliding down rattling alone let alone rattling along let alone alone as something else leaks out and something else floats in through what's left uncovered by the corrugated metal patch sliding down along the outside of the rim of the rim of the dream it was and was never could find the right crew fumbling about in there like a call it no use calling it calling after them the a construction crew trying to put up signs that knocked each other down took whatever else down lousy construction crew what good no calling it calling after them no use calling them a crew or anything putting together anything resembling anything only circles dropping what equipment unused holding pointing an index finger out into the burnt air as if emphasizing something to highlight as if as if and nothing comes of it except more accidents interrupted by intentions spoiling in a bowl let alone spoiling let alone alone.




- Max Stoltenberg

Thursday, February 16, 2012

GETTING FOR GETTING

The same watery smokey images words
Emerge in the abdomen
Like a knot that won't untangle
When so much has 
already been undone


Play
that back
Read
that back


Trapped air
Is making its way
Up the ranks
and this is how it ranks
Like walls covered in mold


What an atmosphere
Folding in on itself


Elbow on the desk
top that off
and spill the milk as
bad as bad


Blink until less
has disappeared
to hide the crowding
of nonsense
nesting in the beard
without a trim
getting for getting


Reading glass case
dropped by irregularly clipped
fingernails until more
musical notes are taken out


almost ready for
unprepared routine
of muscular cries
for an empty drink


Quarter of an apple
brown and tinged also
with the ink of a 
newspaper


Vague shapes of events
getting for getting
The same vague shapes
of the obstinate events
clinging to bristle blocks
making its way
up the cracks
columns wet
with a nose dive
splitting head aches
bouncing off the special effect
with the rest to rest
wedged in repetition


Dimmed by blinking
until less has disappeared 
to conceal the buried
trunk of lunacy


almost ready for 
the walk
the wandering
from the decayed box
aimlessly through the soil
building up in the corners
of eyes




- Max Stoltenberg

FROM

From paper to blood from blood to plastic from keys to plugs from screeching to crumbs of floor from poring over it to poring over what they said from breathing to bleeding from the end to now from now to the gate from slamming shut to the echo between lobes from the cup to the calculator from the cellphone to the dead battery from the wires to the disconnection from the that to the it from the depression to the snapped floss from the wind to the throat choking on dried pages from the forgotten to the unwritten from the subject to the hole in the ground from the characteristic to the puncture wound from the slashing to the cold stinging shower from the from to the to from the to to the other from the other to the flat from the path to the path to the from from the another to the another from the another to the to from pent-up from the pent-up to the glass shattering from the shards to the pavement from the long hair to the last parting step discernible from the blackness to the blackness from the under to the below that from the upstairs to the basement to the TV off from the off to the constantly from the fist to the leaving from the leaving to the leaving from the now to the leaving now to the leaving then to the always leaving from the always leaving from the always passing from gate to gate to gate to gate to gate from the slamming shut to the echo between the lobes from the that's it to the is that it from pressure to let go from let go to disregarded from disregarded to put up with.




- Max Stoltenberg

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

TWO WALLS

These two walls see and ignore where they go and how they extend their pricks - meant bricks, no go on ahead with it along the extension and there they are pricks it is - said that, there is only guessing about everything else.  Wanted traveler, wanted yesterday and it has passed back somewhere where the wall one of the walls began - said that, there is only guessing about everything else.  Sandwich shits some of its meat onto the gravel picking at the pieces that stick between the rocks - said that, there is only guessing about everything else.


Might get sick in the corner once was there once there with the back back somewhere where the wall one of the walls began - said that, there is only guessing about everything else.  Might get sick in the corner once was there once there with the back back somewhere there where the wall one of the walls began already said that damn it all both walls in the corner might get sick there once there with the back back there with the back to eyes and mouths and things that stick between the gravel under the skin of the wanted traveler wanted yesterday as it has passed back somewhere where the wall one of the walls one of both the all all the fucking walls began - said that, there is only guessing about everything else.  Breezeway smothers sweat into a mind numbing pantry stuffed with beef jerky and how they extend their pricks jerking those jerks - said that, there is only guessing about everything else outside inside breezeway breathing in the air conditioned between of the two walls for a metal straight jacket dare dare jack it fuck yourselves into the expansion until legs of the journey split apart at the asshole - said that, while there is no and never will be any listening from the two walls - fuck them - said that, while there is no - said that, while there is no and never - said that, while there is no and never will be - said that, said that, while there is no and never will be any listening from the two walls - fuck them - said that, there is only guessing about everything else.




- Max Stoltenberg

Sunday, February 12, 2012

MAD DASH

So far haven't left for being left so far from having haven't left yet and yet have left out additional features of what's left to leave out and haven't done that yet.  Left around for another round and around or what was palms against wood rubbing and twisting around left around for another round and around or what was palms against wood or against something rubbing and twisting around or's and and's or and/or or's or and's/or's so far from having haven't left yet and yet have left out additional features of what's left to leave out and haven't done that yet, you have no idea and either you or they or someone else has and hasn't or hasn't any and/or no idea neither.


Drifting off onto the dirt shoulder dirty shoulders through the shirt to the back of the neck into the hair of the head laid down on the dock next to the rowboat listening to the oars slip out into the water like a swallowing of some kind of gagging of the lake or pond these days just days only just days from now for being left so far from having haven't left yet and yet have left out additional features of what's left to leave out and haven't done that yet.  Left around for another round and around or what was palms against wood head laid down on the wood of the dock once palms fold into the pockets shallow pockets of a rasping coat covering lungs left around for another round and around or what was palms against wood head laid down on the wood of the dock once palms fold into pockets shallow pockets of a rasping coat covering lungs shallow lungs emptied by what comes after clouds smudged with what hasn't been left out yet for drifting off onto the dirt.


Drifting off to nodding off not off even then or onto anything or a drift as in how it can't be managed and it can't manage it with any increase in speed or urgency no urgency anymore these days just days only just days plundered and not off even then or onto anything or a drift as in how it can't be managed with what's left so far for being left so far from having haven't left yet and yet have left out additional features of what's left to leave out and haven't done that yet and yet drifting off onto the dirt getting away it's getting away the and the or slipping away drifting off onto the dirt breaking down lying down palms folding into pockets shallow pockets of a rasping coat covering lungs shallow lungs emptied from throwing being thrown lying down head on the wooden dock next to the rowboat listening to the oars slip out into the water like a swallowing of some kind of gagging of the lake or pond these days just days only just days emptied from throwing being thrown trying the vain insistence on trying when no one else tells with their wooden sayings and haven't left yet still around for another round slipping out into the water like a swallowing of some kind of gagging from being thrown trying the vain insistence on trying when no one else tells with their wooden sayings and haven't left yet still around still thrown by them trying to throw the ball towards the arms lowering slipping out into the water like a swallowing of some kind of gagging throwing up spitting up what has been thrown up ball head slipping.




- Max Stoltenberg

Thursday, February 9, 2012

CARBON COPIES

The piece of tape had gotten stuck to itself and there was no separating.  Plus a strand of hair presented itself sandwiched between the two adhesive buns.  Pulling on the thin fiber it broke and the formerly gripped segment disappeared from between index finger and thumb.  The vacuum cleaner had something in it even after several milk gallons of dust, fur, and potato chips, the ruffled kind the kind that ruffled many things many feet and many feathers and feathers could be included in the several milk gallons of dust, fur, and potato chips, the ruffled kind the kind that ruffled many things many feet and many feathers and feathers ruffled and tumbled in the dryer tumbled along with a couple logs of shit that had been dried after being washed couldn't fit into the small holes all around them as the water left leaving behind the couple logs of shit.  Even after several milk gallons of dust, fur (dog or bonobo) even after all that after all it's all about town it's all about balance balancing on a log rolling in the water of the washing machine the log in the machine.


"If you had answered me the first time I asked, you wouldn't have spoken that way to me," declared Mumph as he sat holding the piece of tape and still looking for the strand.


"If I had answered you the first time you asked, I would have answered with greater curtness because I was so annoyed I had to hold myself back from responding at all and grit my teeth like you're doing right now I can see it and don't just dismiss my observation as being part of my way of speaking to you.  You have as much of a claim to grit as the rest of us," retorted Lilactic windshield-wiping her hair off her forehead.


"I don't know if that is necessarily true.  I consider it no different than those times I've been lectured about how being assertive and asking again and again will wear people down and they will eventually resign themselves to giving you what you want just to get you off their back.  Biting off the face is more like it and scraping you off the bottom of their shoe is more like it," Mumph muttered staring down at his crotch to see if the coffee stain had faded any and it had but not nearly enough.


"When was the last time the office custodian service came by to take our trash?  I could swear it's been weeks but I know it's probably more realistically like a couple of days.  I haven't seen them?  Have you?" asked Lilactic straightening in her chair and wincing from getting poked by something sticking through the back of it and into her blouse.


"Rest of who are you talking about?" Mumph inquired while the word orgy ejaculated through his skull.


"What?" she asked distractedly as she maneuvered her back to adjust the quality of the pain she was experiencing from whatever was cutting into her back above or below her bra clasps.


"You said the rest of us and I wanted to know who are this rest of us?" he clarified as the words pretzel rods clattered about his cranial chamber.


"I mean the rest of us in the office," she proposed as she thought about the last time she saw someone from the tenth floor as she thought about rocking in her chair to work the push and pull of the object into her back below it was below it on her back into her back.


"You mean the rest of the world, that's what you mean really isn't it?" he insisted all the while the image of a pop tart broken into pieces slapped the inside of his brain.


"No, just the rest of the office.  You don't have to worry about the rest of the world - at least not this time anyway," hoping her rocking was not noticeable enough to garner a comment from Mumph.


Lateral moves the positioning of the badges faces harder to recognize lateral moves until after they happen after they move harder to face harder faces hardening and softer in their haziness a nostalgic resentment the redundancies all those redundancies clouding up the rows of snapshots inside the drawer in the corner of the eye positioning lateral moves the peeling badges peeling getting under to make their lateral moves peelings stuck to each other peeling its the rest of them peelings stuck to each other the rest of them of convincing the rest of them that that is how it happened after it happened lateral moves the positioning of the badges faces harder to recognize harder the rest of them harder convincing the rest of them.


"Lately lately how late," she continued with the prodding and the poking and the rub a dub dub with a sharp pinch in a pinch staying awake above it was above it through her blouse into the muscle, "before we know it what we thought is put off arrives to put us off some more for the very next day after this one ending sooner than expected not quickly as we'd as I'd like it to be answered and wondering if anyone the rest of the world is out there or anyone from the tenth floor comes around anymore seems like months but it's actually more like a couple of weeks but it's actually more like barking up the wrong tree me that's doing the barking and the howling that just keeps coming out of me and never quits because I don't want to be called a quitter by anyone else of the rest of the world barking up the wrong tree because I keep telling myself not to be a quitter because I keep telling myself that the rest of the world keeps telling me not to be a quitter still barking up the wrong tree as I keep howling and telling myself that I am a confident person confident in having seen once or maybe even twice the rest of them disappear up that tree as I keep telling myself that I saw the rest of them fly away and keep barking up that wrong tree because I keep telling myself that my howling brought some of the rest of them most of the rest of them back to the branches and so that is what I am confident about telling myself as I keep telling myself as I keep barking up the wrong tree while no one listens.  Are you listening to me?"


Without looking at her while looking at the same coffee stain the same shade of staining the same fabric the same crotch, Mumph hollowly remarked, "I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention while I calculated the percentage of your insincerity."


"You bastard," Lilactic said pushing back on the needling needling her in her harder layers.


"Asking and asking doesn't get it.  Only like you said it only gets what you and I keep telling ourselves.  You keep asking me if I wonder about it and I don't wonder anymore about the tenth floor and about our trash cans overflowing and when was the last time.  When was the last time?  Nah, not going to wonder.  Already have the snapshots in the drawer in the corner of the eye right on the edge of the corner where I keep telling myself it's nothing and it is it is something in the corner of my eye bringing the trash bags don't see the hands unfolding them opening them up wider and deeper trash bags following behind me just in the corner of my eye following."




- Max Stoltenberg

Sunday, February 5, 2012

EYELASHES TWICE REMOVED

The two of them.  The one and one of them.  Not to mention what has been.  Not to mention it come to mention it mention it to come to mention it to not to come not to mention it.  Turn towards and away ears hold the wind knocked out of each one and one of them.  The two of them. Period.  Dot dot dot each speck rubbed with ignoring the other can't seem to reach them on the line it's on the line.  Not to mention what has been.  


The paper airplane didn't stand a chance as it landed in the bucket of water overflowing from the downpour through the hole in the roof of the roof of the house not to mention what has been.  Not to mention it come to mention it mention it to come to mention it to not to come not to mention it through the hole in the roof of the roof of the house.  The house didn't stand a chance.


Man: Your hand feels limp.
Woman:  Limp?  Did you say, "limp"?  
Man:  Yes, I said, "limp."  Your hand feels limp.
Woman: How can that be?  I have a good grip on this book.
Man: Not that one.  The one that is currently holding me.  You've got a book over there?
Woman: Just a small one.  Where's my other hand holding you?
Man: A part of me.  Just a small one.


Didn't stand a chance didn't stand and waited too long and not long enough to avoid the disappointment of just having missed it having missed her having missed having her missed her having to avoid the disappointment of having waited too long and not long enough to avoid the disappointment of just having missed it.  


Man: You've been reading a book all this time?
Woman: You know it's not easy for you to carry on a conversation once you get into bed.
Man: Naturally, if you're going to be reading a book.
Woman: I've got to do something while you have those longer and longer pauses between your . . . your . . . 
Man: Between my what?  Go on say it.
Woman: Between your ellipses.
Man: Are you referring to my fluid build up?
Woman: Not in the least.
Man: That's due to inflammation of the bursa sac.
Woman: I wasn't even thinking of your sac.
Man: Apparently.  It'll need surgical drainage.
Woman: Did I ever suggest that?  No matter how I put this your exhaustion and my exhaustion will further deflate our touch our words and our eyes don't meet again before extinguishing the light and by morning will have stirred our dried out ingredients into the vat.  
Man: Into the vat.
Woman: You did say one thing.
Man: What one thing?
Woman: During one of your incomprehensible dot dot dots.
Man: And it wasn't about surgical drainage?
Woman: Come to mention it, I'm not sure if you said it or if it was what I was reading or a combination of the two.
Man: Into the vat.
Woman:  Yes, the vat.


The paper airplane didn't stand a chance as it landed in the bucket of water overflowing from the downpour through the hole in the roof of the roof of the house not to mention what has been.  Not to mention it come to mention it mention it to come to mention it to not to come not to mention it through the hole in the roof of the roof of the house.  The house didn't stand a chance.


Didn't stand a chance didn't stand and waited too long and not long enough to avoid the disappointment of just having missed it having missed her having missed having her missed her having to avoid the disappointment of having waited too long and not long enough to avoid the disappointment of just having missed it. 




- Max Stoltenberg





Wednesday, February 1, 2012

RUNNING THE OUTLINE

Pass the snuff film as they snuff the pass that was going to let this float on by the bitter by and by while receipts of things blacken in pockets in trousers worn washed worn washed worn worn and worn into bad cheese accompanied by smoldering plastic as they snuff the pass that was going to let this float on by the bitter by and by.


Teenage girl pass the snuff film before you tell the story of when you were telling a story of when you were an elementary school girl of elementary proportions and notions telling a story to the corner of the schoolyard where there were certainly no other kids and certainly no grass "just big bald world" you used to say as you tried to let this float on by in the story you were telling about the bitter by and by and now until now it just so happens actually really nothing to write with or write on at home writing it with fingers in the "big bald world" before they start shouting my name yanking on the ribbon on the back of my dress that used to be a brighter green yanking on the ribbon with the sound of my name is that how it sounds actually really using this rock to write in the dirt to finish the story before they start yanking on the ribbon with the sound of my name.


Mother once mother in the car in the rain listen to the rain on the window closest to your tears pass the snuff film run over run over run over it and over it run over to this this just this just wanted to let this float on by the bitter by and by run over it under hair unshowered under the hood under the rain running over it heart pounds harder faster for another sound run over it and over it running over it back a bit as it stops after running over it and it has taken away more out from under your feet under fur grown over the abandoned "big bald world" under hair unshowered under the hood under the rain mud gets a grip on your behalf be half and keep dividing by two looking in the rearview mirror running a finger along the outline of an eyebrow in the rearview mirror getting darker as the muddy field searches in vain for tugging on dangling roots not there for any there not there running a finger along the outline of an eyebrow somewhere in the dusky mirror.




- Max Stoltenberg