joey and bobby

by genghis gilgamesh

joey had a lizard bobby had a crow the crow and the lizard played checkers it was a long time ago joey waited at the window because bobby was late the crow beat the lizard thirteen times because he was the hand of fate outside in the wilderness a frog sat on a rock the frog he knew what time it was although he had no clock a weary pilgrim walked the road as snow began to fall he saw a hut behind a tree and heard a bluebird call a bluebird or a walrus? it was hard to tell as hard to know as if the road led to heaven or hell the lizard finally beat the crow and joey laughed out loud but bobby was still missing lost in the crowd

dime

by dog e relaford

a hundred dogs a thousand cats a billion cheeseburgers a baseball bat a stranger walking down a road a message in a secret code a dog that barks just once a year a wise man wiping away a tear a prophet walking north, not south who never opens up his mouth he hopes to soothe his weary soul joining the circus at the north pole i received a letter in the mail because they let the mailman out of jail it invited me to rule the world but i am not that kind of girl joe biden asked me for a dime i told him, maybe some other time the sun is setting in the west dad is drunk, but mother knows best

truth day

by bofa xesjum

hello. abe, how is it going? not too bad. is it raining out? not yet. we are doing something a little different tonight. oh? and why is that? didn’t you know? no, what? today is truth day. i did not know that. i must have forgotten. well, this is your chance to make up for lost time. lost time to do what? to tell the truth. the truth about what? about who you are. everybody knows who i am. i have no secrets, and i am a square shooter and a regular guy. well, abe, some people might think that using such old fashioned expressions as that indicate that you have something to hide. i have nothing to hide. you mean you have nowhere to hide. nowhere to hide from what? from the truth. you know, i have had just about enough of this. i think i will just get up and leave, suit yourself. but you can’t run and you can’t hide. also, it might be raining out. i don’t care. and with that, abe got up and left. it was raining out. abe walked along in the rain, muttering to himself and getting wet.

3 poems in black and white

by genghis gilgamesh

trees the grass is green but the trees are bare i am confused what is where? sky the sky is blue the ship floats away i am bewildered but have orders to stay sidewalk the sidewalk is flat my head is round the sky is gray rain falls on the ground

2 stories

by genghis gilgamesh

a vision al parks was a regular guy. he wanted to be different from everybody else. and he wanted everybody in the world to like him. lying on the grass, he had a vision of eternity. brad quigley, a park security guard, came along and asked al what he thought he was doing. al told brad his life story. an election everybody hated al jones because he was the worst person in the world. everybody liked bonnie waters because she was the nicest person in the world. al and bonnie ran against each other for mayor. al won the election in what the gazette termed a “landslide”. connie smith, a reporter for the gazette, was shocked by the result and decided to investigate. what she discovered shocked her even more.

jared and megan

by genghis gilgamesh

jared had everything megan not so much they went to school together but did not keep in touch jared had his choice of lives each more radiant than the last megan had a million dreams but reality held her fast jared could have been a scientist creating new worlds or the world’s most famous movie star around whom scandal swirled he could have been a doctor eradicating all disease or the world’s deadliest assassin or anything he pleased there was one thing certain that he would never lack there was nowhere the world’s females would not follow him to and back skiing in switzerland one day jared came to his decision but it was thought a sad mistake and provoked only derision he took the title of philosopher and sat beneath a tree a path that might have been chosen by megan, or you, or me megan had been his faithful fan and followed his every whim now like the rest of the human race she lost all faith in him having upset the universal order jared turned into a toad earth became a desert and megan became a road a road that runs forever down which the toad hops along a cloud floats above it singing a little song

5307

by nick nelson

it was the night before the big day - one of them. harry and jerry and me decided to take the bus to town. . the driver was a little fat native woman who made a big deal out of giving us exact change for our tickets. the bus was crowded. we were a little surprised that the natives did not get up and give us their seats but we did not really care. we broke up when we got to town. suddenly we were the only ones left on the bus, when it was just getting back. harry had a tan like he had been out in the sun for three days, but it faded before we got to the camp. the streets of the camp were deserted. the young guys, the proles, were all locked up and under guard. half of them would be dead at the same time tomorrow night. the admirals and generals were having one their admiral and general night before parties. me and harry and jerry walked in, there were still some seats in the back. the women had not noticed jerry yet, but they would. jerry was one of those guys who just had it - like everything else in the world you either had it or you did not, and they flocked around jerry like moths around whatever. i sat down and admiral x’s secretary came over and asked me about my sore foot, but then jerry came over she forgot about me. some more women came over and surrounded jerry. you always were a backward swaying bimbo, jerry told the admiral’s secretary, and the women all pretended to be shocked, but laughed. up front the admirals and generals were laughing too, harder than ever. the torch lights flickered. what did we care? we were the children of the dawn, the clouds would always part for us and the birds would always fly out of them. we would get old and gray and our maids and grandchildren would bring us cool drinks on silver trays. we would write our memoirs. i am already writing mine.

billy's birthday

by bofa xesjum

it was billy’s birthday. jesse offered to take him to lunch, and billy accepted his offer. well, how does it feel to be x years old? jesse asked after belle, the waitress, had taken their orders. oh, not much different from being x minus one years old, billy replied. tell me, what do you think of this modern world, which we have both been so fortunate enough to live to see? i rather like it. really? many others are not so sanguine. what do you like about it? oh, it just seems more tolerant. quite a bit more tolerant as a matter of fact. really? about anything in particular? atlanta, for one thing. atlanta, of course. but what about birningham? birmingham! i would not know anything about birningham. jesse started to make a reply, but at that moment belle arrived with their orders - fried oysters for billy and a cheeseburger with mushrooms for jesse. so, jesse resumed the conversation when belle had left them, you do not know anything about birmingham? no, i do not know what gave you that idea. i mean, really. well, i will not press the issue. jesse leaned forward. but what about - chattanooga? he asked softly. billy turned pale. go ahead and eat your oysters before they get cold, jesse advised him. even- even if it were true - billy finally managed to say, how would you possibly know - how would i know? how would i know about chattanooga? you might as well ask, how would i know about dallas? billy dropped his fork, with a fried oyster on it, on to his lap. you seem to know everything, he blurted out. of course i know everything, billy. i even know about - jesse leaned forward and whispered in billy’s ear - i know about evansville indiana! billy collapsed across the table, sobbing uncontrollably. jesse got up. he took his wallet out and put more than enough money on the table to pay the bill and leave a good tip for belle, and left the restaurant.

under heaven

by genghis gilgamesh

gustave was a little grape roland was a berry they were bottled as fine wines in the cellar of a monastery inchbald was a pious monk and said his prayers every hour he was not a vegetable but he might have been a flower jezebel was a princess who traveled through the hills she had conquered paris and rome but had not got her fill otto was an emperor on a golden throne his cat declined to chase a mouse so he threw his dog a bone urban was a a pope so proud on a marble balcony he raised his hand to bless the crowd and set all sinners free ferdinand was a cardinal in a silver chair he thought he heard a whispered word he looked - no one was there > barrabas was a beggar sitting in the street he cursed at every passerby who stepped upon his feet jack was a poor pilgrim wandering through the snow he had left the world behind but still had far to go

blue sky

by dog e relaford

they landed on earth a long time ago i saw them myself that is how i know lies are lies the truth is true the clouds are white and the sky is blue when i was a child the earth was round now the road runs on and i hear strange sounds i had a dog his name was joe he left me alone in the rain and snow i had a friend his name was chuck he took to the highway and wished me luck sometimes you take sometimes you give donald trump is the worst who has ever lived the flea can see what the dog can not you think you are free but you are caught

the assignment

by fred flynn

this will not take long. i have only three questions. right. have you been there? yes, i have. a simple yes or no will suffice. have you done that? yes. have you seen it all? yes. good. here is your assignment. the man behind the desk handed over a small phone. the screen of the phone showed black and white head shots, as on i d card, of an ordinary looking white person, and a name and address. memorize it and give it back. that is easy enough, the man who had been there replied. he glanced at the screen and handed it back across the desk. that is all, the man behind the desk said. the man who had been there got up and left the office, which had no window, and contained only the desk, two chairs, and the man behind the desk. the man who had been there and done that passed the elevator and walked down the four flights of stairs to the street. * two hours later the man who had been there and done that and seen it all entered one of the larger waiting areas of one of the world’s larger airports. the person whose picture had been on the phone of the man behind the desk was seated by themself at a table for two in a corner, to the side of the great window looking out in the night on to the landing strips. the man who had been there sat down across the petson whose picture had been on the phone. good evening. good evening. i have been instructed to meet you. i suppose you must have been. but do you know what? no, what? i have had enough. of all this nonsense. have we not all? i wish there were someplace we could go, and get away from it all. i think i know a place. then shall we go? they got up and left. a third person, who had been seated in one of the deep chairs of the waiting area, carefully folded up the copy of the london sun they had been reading, and followed the pair at a suitable distance. and was followed themself by a fourth person. who was followed by a fifth... forever is a long time. they can not follow us all forever… do you think?

director's cut

by anonymous

i am me i am who i am all i want is respect and to be accepted for who i am i am many things, not just one thing i am the center of the universe i am the ruler of the universe i am the director of the movie i am the ringperson of the circus of time and space i can be anything i want to be i could be the president of the united states i could be the secretary general of the united nations i could be the quarterback for the tampa bay buccaneers i could be the right fielder for the new york yankees i could be a four time winner of the nobel prize for literature and the permanent yearly winner of the nobel peace prize and the person who breaks the bank every night at monte carlo who invented the new world and walked away from it and gave it all away i could invent a million new worlds tomorrow so do not mess with me and show a little respect please do you doubt me? do you deny me? do you doubt yourself? who are you? who are you to tell me who i am and am not? do you want to be my friend? with all that i am i could use a friend will you take me to lunch? will you buy me a cup of coffee? can you spare a dollar? can you spare a dime? it looks like it might rain but have a nice day anyway

seemers

by genghis gilgamesh

a monkey stole a wallet from a nun because he liked to have fun a nightingale sang in times square because there was nobody there an owl hooted in the woods because a person was missing with the goods a queen was highly amused because her witty sayings were reused a rooster crowed at dawn because his last will and testament were gone a serpent hissed because he had never been kissed a turtle took his time looking on the sidewalk for nickels and dimes uncle john smoked his pipe because that was his mission in life a visionary prophesied that the world would no longer be wide but the whole human race would fit in one room humming a sad and lonely tune a woman screamed in the night but could not get it exactly right youth will be served, but not today because zero hour was yesterday oh you who look out hotel windows at the passing scene below spare a thought for those who dream because they are only what they seem

uncle charles in the garden

by horace p sternwall

lady nadine looked over her balcony and saw uncle charles sitting in the garden. althea, she asked her niece, would you please go and tell uncle charles i wish to speak to him? he is sitting in the garden, beside the new roses. of course, aunt, althea agreed. althea made her way down to where uncle charles was seated, and found that he was asleep. he looks so peaceful, althea thought. like he is having the most beautiful dreams any person has ever had. it would be a shame to wake him. uncle charles? she asked a couple of times. barely in a whisper, but uncle charles did not respond, and althea decided that she had followed the letter of aunt nadine’s request, and returned to the house. lady nadine was mildly annoyed but not seriously discountenanced by althea’s failure, as althea was little more than a child. she rang for her personal maid, soames, and instructed her to tell uncle charles that she , nadine, wished to see him. he appears to be asleep, lady nadine instructed soames, but do not have any qualms about waking him. yes, my lady, the dutiful soames replied. but when soames reached the sleeping charles, she, like althea, thought she had never seen a creature, not even a dog or a cat, look so completely at peace with the world, and after a few half hearted shakes of his drooping left arm, she desisted and returned to the drawing room. he just looked so peaceful, my lady, she explained to nadine. i did give hm a few good shakes, honest i did, but what could i do? i didn’t want to knock him out of the chair and on to the hard ground. oh very well, lady nadine exclaimed. tell benton i wish to see him. benton, the butler, arrived and was given his marching orders. look here, benton, he is asleep unless he happens to have just woken up. i want you to bring him here. i do not care how annoyed he might be, do you understand? lady nadine felt like adding, it is i who am mistress of this house and charles is just a wretched parasite and hanger on without a penny of his own to his name, but of course she said nothing of the sort to a servant. but when benton reached the still slumbering charles, his heart, too, went out to him. lord bless me, benton thought, i have never seen a live soul look so at peace. a few dead ones in my time, but none still alive. and he made no effort to wake him. i am sorry, my lady, he reported, but i could not wake him, not without getting positively violent. but he was breathing quite normally, so i do not think there is anything to fear on that score. lady nadine admitted defeat. in that case, she sighed, summon cousin marcus instead. i believe you will find him in the library, working on his history of the hittite empire.