We Carry Hatchets In This Family

fiery fiery fiery them flames was burnin' burnin' bright and he felt hisself inhabited by the sprits, the smokey folk hell and even the old man of the mountain hisself had crawled outta time and hidin' places to see what he could do and boy was he doin' and doin' goddamn. he was tables turned and slates cleaned and nay were this simple hodie est tabula rasa bullshit if were a so simplement simply for doin' and done 'cause naw this were somethin' and a else do you even understand? this were't a slidin' through to a other side that not nothern's a been to but just that that othern's had been, had returned, and even done so with tells amongst a belt they's own. this was a somethin' separate, apart, disparate, and any other latin root you could think for this was and this is all to say this was not a unique experience no no, but rather a communing of the dirty saints of the black arts of sorts who knew that there was, had been, and always will be a secret side to all everythin' known or otherwise so there he was with no less'n john a leiden a sneakin' over shoulder and arms a wrapped round guidin' to the less traveled.

and he faced it down like one who knowed what he was doin' for, temptin' satan and all his fallen angels darin' 'em on callin' out and loud,
-here i am you dirty sons a bitches and here i stand and here riskin' all damnation as sure as i's known from the earliest of days to stare you down. to call you out. demandin' you show yourselves whether it unleash all wrath or no here i stand and stand do i ever.

and the devil answered him with a laugh dark as any had ever heard nor will likely hear again,
-skinny whoreson, a gale force full from that which she blows, thar look at ye skinny whoreson of babylon look at ye don't ye know nuthin' good fer nuthin' haven't ye heard across the sea son across the sea. may you survive til i pull the trigger. church on sunday and alls in the hole un-whole and not a chance in hell. but hell if i didn'a so did i, did i ever to the fullest and the full.

he thought on and unto hisself,
-that scoundrel of scoundreldom and all unholy sacrilege left with skin like rubbermeat in the gale force full holdin' us all together like the hands of jesus in a sunday school paintin' like when we was learnin' the good book amen jumpin' the wall into hornets' nest graveyard turn the corner playground ditch canal glory glory hallelujah but sneakin in to the otherns' when i got the chances excitement in the last of places goin to hell for it i'm almost nearly sure which considrin' the let down not quites cardboard brick junk store atmospheric considrin' what? i don't regret. no lightning strike down heart attack car crash explosion rapturotic release maybe wrongs alongs i get by. wake up the next day maybe wrathful vengeful safe escaped by a hair when thank fuck i gots one more to face.

and he came back across and how he did it and hard but came back harder with axe and all fire flamin' word of the lord or word of someone or somethin' with little more than no words a'tal screamin' skull splittin',
-back to hell with ye and all yours what are some.

and with that he commenced to slingin' round hatchet fallin' hard and fast upon him what had fallen deep and into his soul and his very own.

and as he stood over starin' down at a handiwork work a hands he caught the last of dyin' breaths,
-skinny face skinny whoreson. skinny whoreson of babylon. look at ye, don't ye know nuthin' good fer nuthin' haven't ye heard across the sea son, haven't ye heard across the sea.

his first was a thought back to that sea and the very same that had left him here in the first of places but starin' down into the face a satan hisself he stated for histry books and all what like 'em,
-now the satan is dead. me and my babies are safe.

he turned away with a hatchet drop walk away never to return. leavin' weeds to grow up and over all and everythin' he had done. all up and over he had ever known.

And Mr. Jones Was Screaming Along With The Tea Kettle

one was trying to pick up the girls. one was offering work. one was trying to out-accent. one was talking tales of chile. one was with new employment. one was on the radio. one was taking photographs. one was apologizing for jobs never happened. one was sharing ideas about art. one was serving drinks. one was smoking cigarettes. one was mugged. one was assisting the director. one was looking familiar. one was looking particularly good. one was telling jewish jokes in the late night diner. and i think one was flirting... but i can't really be sure.

and one was missing.