CHAISE LOUNGE

EACH FIBER
CONFORMS AND
IMMEDIATELY BENDS OVER
BACKWARDS TO THE ONSET
OF WEIGHT. I MELT DOWNWARD
RELEASE A SIGH AND
SETTLE INTO THE CUSHIONS.
THE HAS COME TO
AN END. ANY PRESSING WORRY IS
SLOWLY ERASED FROM MY THOUGHTS.
FEELING EXPONENTIALLY RELAXED.
IT SEEMS THAT
I'M BECOMING
THE COUCH.

BE CAREFUL WITH THAT ITS VINTAGE

SITTING ATOP
MY 1977 PUCH
MAXI.
I CAN'T HELP
BUT
LET THE WINDING
ROAD TAKE ME.
CRUISING AT A COOL TWENTY-SIX
MILES PER HOUR.
WITH
NO HAT FOR MY HEAD
THE WIND
TOUSLES
TUMBLES
AND ROLLS MY HAIR IN
EVERY DIRECTION.
KNOWING A STRUGGLE WILL ENSUE
BETWEEN
MY FINGERS AND EACH STRAND OF
MY LOCKS
I RIDE
ONWARD.

THE BEAUTY OF TIME

YOU'RE A COBWEB WITH A
NEW OWNER. WITH RENOVATIONS
TO COME. TO BRING ABOUT A
RIFT IN WHAT YOU KNOW.
ALTER WHAT YOU KNEW FOR
THAT MATTER. IT IS POSSIBLE
YOU WILL BECOME
UNRECOGNIZABLE, EVEN TO
YOURSELF. YOUR ARACHNID WILL
NOT TREAT YOU KINDLY.

MY DEMISE

I THREW DOWN MY ARMS TODAY. THE COLORS
WERE MORE IMPORTANT. IT WAS MY DUTY, FOR
I WAS NEAREST THEM. THE MOMENT I PICKED
THEM UP, I KNEW WHAT I HAD DONE. I AM NOW
RESPONSIBLE FOR CARRYING MY COLORS UNTIL
MY DEATH. NOT A BURDEN A PRIVILEGE.
THE STAFF WAS BITTER COLD ON MY HANDS.
IT WAS HEAVY, UNLIKE WIELDING A 58
SPRINGFIELD I BECAME TIRED QUICKLY. THE
FABRIC SNAPPED AND FLICKED IN THE WIND.
THE FINIAL'S POINT PUNCTURED THE SKY.
A SHOWER OF BULLETS RAINED DOWN ON OUR
UNIT. MANY MEN FELL, MANY MORE FILLED
THE HOLES. THE CANNON FIRE THUNDERED
FROM THE EAST, MOMENTS AFTER THE
EXPLOSION. THE GRAPESHOT'S LOW THUD WAS
HEARD AROUND LEFT AND RIGHT. LEAD: MERE
WEIGHT IN OUR BODIES.
THE CHARGE CONTINUED.

TIPS FOR LIVING ON YOUR LONESOME

HE COULD ONLY STAND AND WATCH AS
THE MEN CAME FROM BOTH SIDES. IN
THE HEIGHT OF SUMMER HIS PIGMENTS
BEGAN TO FLEET. THEIR RIFLES AT THE
READY. ALL AIMED, ALL FIRED. OPTIMAL
DESTRUCTION WAS MADE POSSIBLE
BETWEEN FIVE HUNDRED FEET. HE STOOD
IN THE CENTER OF THEM ALL, ONLY HALF
OF THAT DISTANCE AWAY FROM THEIR
MUZZLES. HE RECIEVED THE BRUNT OF
THE MINI BALLS AND HE WAS NOT THE
TARGET. GRAZING, PIERCING, ENTERING
HIS FLESH. HE CRIED A SILENT HOWL,
UNHEARD BY MAN'S EARS. EVER INCREASING
WITH EACH HIT. IF HE HAD BEEN CREATED
WITH LEGS, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN
UTILIZED. THE BLUE CAME TO MEET
THE GRAY ON THAT FIELD. ON THIS DAY
THE RIFTED NATION MET AND CHOSE
HIS LOCATION AS THE BATTLEGROUNDS.
WHEN THEIR FIGHTING MOVED ON AND
ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS HIMSELF AND
THE OTHER DYING MEN HE CURSED THEM
ALL. HE CURSED HIMSELF FOR BEING THE
WAY HE WAS. WHEN THE DEAD WERE MOVED
HE BECAME THE LAST. THEY WOULD NOT
MOVE HIM IF THEY COULD, NOT DEAD,
JUST DYING. FOREVER LOSING LIFE AS
THE TREES SHED THEIR LEAVES. THEY
MURDERED HIM THAT DAY, THOUGH
HE DIED MANY YEARS LATER. HIS SKIN
BEGAN TO PEEL OFF. HIS LIMBS DROOPED.
THE MINI BALLS WERE EATING HIS INSIDES.
THROUGH THIS PAIN HE ACQUIRED WORLDLY
INSIGHT. HE RETAINED THE MEMORIES OF
THAT DAY. KEPT UP WITHIN HIM IS ONE OF
THE ONLY ACCURATE HISTORIES OF THAT
DAY. AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE WILTS AND
DECAYS.