A man walks from pump topump asking for . . . you knowwhat he’s asking for, and Idon’t want to see his face.I don’t want to be convincedby some jugular detail.Behind the SUV door, I’vealready made up my mindhe’s not worthy for — what it alwayscomes back to — my resources.Men have died for the... Continue Reading →
In hell the beer isnever cold enough,the music is notloud enough, and akiss gives you herpes.What did you expect,the royal treatment?Get on your knees andcrawl through the sharpestglass, the hottest coal,and remember whatyou did to get here.Enjoy your beer onearth, turn up the rockn’ roll. It will notget better than this.Kiss the one you loveand... Continue Reading →
The first white girl I had sex withnever accused me of rape,though her father did.Why else would his daughterspread her legs for a black man.One day he showed herhow to check the oil in her carand slapped her mouth so hardshe cracked a right front tooth.He said she never listened,about oil or men—and that she’d... Continue Reading →
In such a serpentine situationAs Interstate 410 before eight a.m.,Language is not quite precise—Aggro jazzOf chrysalis lives,Some in Chryslers Accelerating, Halting to completeStops, Swerving between artificial lanes,Closing gaps between HUMONGOUSBuicks with grannies behind the wheelWho should’ve stayed home insteadDriving their pinche wheelchairsIn such a serpentine situation as this,I’m not quite sure yet whereLanguage is leading me,But fortunately—I’m happy... Continue Reading →
By the time they pack us up again, I’m ready to move. Five years boxed, standing up in an old warehouse — it’s about time. Hey, how is that to treat a king! King of Rock that is — “Elvis in the warehouse,” the other dummies joke. But I always knew that one day I’d... Continue Reading →
de chirico’s shadows, lateafternoon,end of winter with sunlight asweak as christgotta laugh when thefist finds the child’s throatgotta be some lesser god shootingstray dogsdown by the riverit’s easynot enough time in the day tostart worrying about the futureyour father dies and thenyour brother butthe bills still have to be paidgirlfriend keeps crying everytime you fuck... Continue Reading →
I wanted to be just like my older brother; tired of being known as just Sean’s kid brother, so I wanted to be his equal or surpass him. I auditioned for the same role he won awards for my senior year but I lost the role to a friend. And I was passed over by... Continue Reading →
A queen bee switched her daughter’s diet to honey and pollen, withholdingthe royal jelly. She feared her hive had a second queen.The queen’s five eyes scoured her daughter’s cell, kept it light so nothing washidden. The larva was punished for any signs of independence.An untended larvae will shrivel. Forced to become a worker, she gave... Continue Reading →
It’s the dream where I recite my social security number forwardsand backward before I can have sex. Isn’t that a pain? The sex robot isaccommodating and hints at numbers I stumble over like a teenagerrunning late for class. I always like hints. They are one of my favoritethings after Julie Andrews, long walks, big bands,... Continue Reading →
there is a small hill near my father’s homein San Antonio where a singlelamppost spreads a golden circleinto the night just barely catchingall four corners of the silentresidential intersection, all homesdark, all streets empty, palmsand salt grass cutting jagged edgesinto the midnight dark, remindingme of same such quiet walks inLos Angeles towns in outlyinghills, of... Continue Reading →
