SLICK SURFACES

If that if that's how they want to put it how they put it together their thing guess it's their thing put kept together with things those connecting things making connections all and all of them growing growing closer and closer together and this is coming from one bag to another if that if that's how they want to put it how they want to put it together their thing guess it's their thing put kept together with things those connecting things making connections all and all of them growing growing closer and closer together and this is coming from one bag to another each coming to this point a lot alike in its own way coming with all that coming together all that back to back back to basics getting on each other's backs if that if that's how they want to put it how they put it together their thing guess it's their thing put kept together how together with those connecting things making connections all and all of them growing growing closer and closer together and this is coming from one bag to another each coming to this point a lot alike in its own way coming with all that coming together all that back to back back to basics getting on each other's backs if that if that's how they want to put it together.

They tucked themselves in for the night between one day and the next between the anticipation of the future and the disappointment of when it finally arrived between the desert and the dump between the expanding and narrowing shafts between the dry and waxed tallow lips between the oiled cogs and the parts they played.

"Is my hand stuck in your hair?"
"Is one of my hairs wrapped around one of your knuckles?"
"Has my coffee breath squelched your scent?"
"Have I underestimated my body or overestimated our surroundings?"
"Are we asking too many questions?"
"Am I not giving good enough answers?"
"How about I move my hand?"
"What if I turn my head this way?"
"There.  It came undone.  That was fun."
"Untangling?"
"Well, that, too, but I meant that we were asking continual questions."
"Were we?"
"Yes, I think so, and you can stop now.  OK?"
"Are we going on with the questions or are you actually inquiring about me?"
"What was that?"
"I said are we going on with the questions or -"
"No, did you hear that?"
"Is this where you start again about the footsteps and those from above looking down around the storm drains for us?"
"Am I still the only one who notices it?"
"Do we only notice anything when our waste mixes with the other's?"
"Is it that I'm exaggerating what little reflection I imagine I can muster?"
"Is that what we're calling it now?  Can we point our fingers at it and say that's reflective thought when it's really more a matter of obsession with disentangling and how things reflect on us?"
"Is that what you think of my obsession with you?"
"Is that what you're obsessed with?  Are you more obsessed with sticking your penetrating questions in and out of me or that my stack of shit might fall over and get confused with yours? Do you really like my hair like this when we don't know when I'll ever be able to wash it again?  Is anything I'm saying not ending up in one of your parentheses?  With so little room in this dark smelly hole how often do I show up in your mind?"

They tucked themselves in for the night between one day and the next between the anticipation of the future and the disappointment of when it finally arrived between the desert and the dump between the expanding and narrowing shafts between the dry and waxed tallow lips between the oiled cogs and the parts they played if that if that's how they want to put it how they put it together their thing guess it's their thing put kept together how together with those connecting things making connections all and all of them growing growing closer and closer together and this is coming from one bag to another each coming to this point a lot alike in its own way coming with all that coming together all that back to back back to basics getting on each other's backs slipping and falling off of each other to end up back together at the bottom of the grease trap all and all of them all of those grease traps growing growing closer and closer together growing into one another if that if that's how they want to put it how they put it together.


- Max Stoltenberg