Many of the excerpts to follow will unveil their completion in the collaborative book I’ve been producing with the assistance of Federico Frum consisting of works by:
Chris Diego
Monica Uzerowicz
Emily Nathan
Ian Hasset
Sean Baker
Justin Nogosek
& Galen DeKemper
Hold tight sample stuff out before hardcover presence!
Barakaat Livan
The Sun Is Out
After awakening from a strange dream he felt a pang from his bladder. He made his way to the back of the coach, venturing to empty it. The acrid smell of the facility hit him like a blow to the sin and he danced uncomfortably while damning his button fly. While buttoning back up he could hear his cell phone going off on his seat tormenting the passengers with the eclectic sounds of Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You”. He rushed back and accidentally kneed an obese woman in the side boob. While turing around to apologize profusely, he threw his back pockets in view of a menacing jock who had been napping with an I-Pod strapped to his bicep. Archibald was then threatened in a obscure way that tested his manhood in homo-phobic context. He starred blankly at the man-child and proceeded back to his seat warily. He was heading back into the city after visiting family further north. There was to be a gallery event where he could meet up with his congregation for the remainder of the weekend. Halfway to New York you could just feel the vibes change.
The gallery served the same function for himself and his friends as it did for the twelve or so other cliques that gathered there for the free wine. The worst thing about these sort of events are the people who go there with no one, knowing that others had to be meeting up and going to a party afterward. he bumped into an acquaintance of his that pummeled him with questions about his time upstate. he though, “How does this guy even know that I — dam myspace bulletins!” Making it his business to obviate the tag-along he had picke up at the gallery, he announced a fake party; invited all his friends, including the hindrance. With a name like Tee Jay he couldn’t help but think that the tag-along was so good at interloping because his name sent a wave of 90′s nostalgia over everyone who heard it. Archibald then sent a mass text message to his entourage telling them the real address of the next location. One by one they lit up and planned dispersing in a manner that wasn’t too obvious (all of their phones were dinging). It faltered, as th method was pellucid and Tee Jay found out later where everyone was going. he used “Can I se your phone to check my voice mails really quick, my battery died,” and proceeded to check Mindy’s recent received texts. The party was rudimentarty to what is to be expected of clique artists in New York and Tee Jay Beamed at the triumph of persistence.
Nightmares about Eggs
Nightmares about eggs
when that’s all
that you have for breakfast
is reality to the
poverty pot-head.
Living in New York City
where you’re friends fly
to Tokyo because the
feel like it or really
on the business tip.
The rising sun will
have nothing to do
with you when they’re
there and their ego’s
will stop them from
telling you how
confused and dwarfed
they felt
Being fat American grease
eaters with French wallets
and lots of lip
*****
Antiques
There was an effort to walk west in order to catch the sunset by the Hudson, foot traffic some how more omnipresent in a situation like this. Taking side streets Ellis mapped out a conceivable route that would get him to that sunset and in bed. He was thwarted of course by the bounty of antique stores en route, she constantly stopped and pointed, an annoying behavior of hers that Ellis had picked up on coming out of the metro.
An odd sight it was to see relatively young men playing backgammon on a sunny afternoon in Washington square park accompanied by a dusty looking terrier. They couldn’t have been more than 22 a piece but looked as if they were killing time before hopping on the A train in time for their flight to Florida. Ellis made a mental note to send an angry e-mail to the deodorant company that was unaware of the seriousness of false advertising as he quickened his pace walking by them with her.
At the checker tables near the west end exit of the park Ellis eyed the usual misanthropes. A striking juxtaposition was affirmed as she brought up that a group of seemingly homeless men were all drinking full cups of bubble tea. To her it represented American consumerism at its finest—even the homeless are picking about staying on top of things and what they pick up from other people.
While she mused over his pack of Japanese duty free Marlboro mediums he suggested that they leave the pier as it was getting chilly outside. Embers got caught in her scarf when she stood up but she didn’t notice. She squinted against the wind and fold her arms after she flicked her cigarette into the water.
*****
When the summer burdened the couple, they sought relief at a nearby beach. As the weeks would progress they’d switch it up choosing from all the neighboring beaches in New York. They’d made a great system out of days spent during the week partying and planning. Always managing to obtain contributions to rent cars stocking them with booze, food, and their portable grill.
Neil Young’s album “On the Beach” was played once each weekend amongst screaming drunk friends caught in massive sing a-longs. They’d earned that insurmountable reputation as the fun couple. During rough patches they fell back on how they worked well with each other. Many jealous bleeding hearts had many things to say about how much more romantic they’d be with either partner if they weren’t single. So by fall when things started to fall apart; many people felt for them while countless others salivated.
*****
COOL WRDS
Extraneous
Having no vital importance.
Immaterial of no importance; beside the point
Impalpable
Not able to be grasped, held, or understood
Modicum
A small, very modest, or toke amount
*****
Waiting for a kitchen shift
radio announcer
lemonade
protruding wallet
frayed pocketbook strap
foul smell walking into a subway car
Aaron Russo: Freedom to Fascism
see though plastic bags of fruit
*****
Lots of Paper in there
With lots of paper and minimal time
Brimming with rhyme
So indeed there is
a significance of Levi’s
the resurgence is plentiful
If vocational training
school does make
for illustrated characters
Issuance of hall passes
many clearance issuing
hall passes
of identity verifiers
Hand out fliers and
periodicals to stimulate
the situation a hand
Begging the public are
the politicians
Pale businessmen fight
in boardrooms
There are no flying
swordsmen to uplift
the masses’ swollen
sense of morale; recently
depleted by blunder
after blunder
The globe has an
interlocking foreign policy
each nation, however
is contemplatively shining
their silverware and
inviting each other
to dinner
The masses starve, and
if not that, are slathered
with branded Lego
blocks that stack up
culture to pacify
ignorance
*****
Insomnia: the indirectly proportional relationship of situational sleeping necessity.
Ellis sat hunched on the sofa from sleep deprivation, there was much to do for the next day and it would have to be done after breaking night. Felines have the feminine quality of keeping you up all night whether you like it or not. Clawing at all your limbs and such. Plus when the heat comes on at six in the morning because the super is cheap — doesn’t want to waste gas during prime time — can keep you awake when it sounds like the valves bursting of a sinking ship.
A sinking shift in thought led to and upright posture that induced sleepiness. It was then that Ellis knew that he’d better get ready for the party, but was still hung over from the night before. He wanted to make sure that his air conditioning unit was going to work if he brought anyone home that night but feared maintenance; crawling into his bed was the last thing he wanted to do as his lethargy was from sleeping all day.
*****
Village Gourmet
The most expensive deli
in New York gives
deals from to
time on work gloves.
such privileges are only for
regulars who frequently
frequent the sandwich section
getting service at
its highest frequency
the big payback for
meatpacking asking to
pay up one
dollar off AAA
battery double packs
*****
While Ellis breaks from class he walks leisurely to the bookstore.
Ellis always turned down getting beaten with a huge leaf after his massages. Palatka not being his thing, he enjoyed watching patrons of the bath house reluctantly except the treatment from the gruff Russian man that offered it. Once outside, autumn chilled him and steam was visibly rolling off his back. He saw two girls donning dried laurel leaves over their ears. Their hair was short enough to do so which made him ponder what statement they were making. In a rush they nearly bumped into him. While parrying as he walked between them, the girl on the left dropped a watercolor brush and he called out to her. Apparently laurel is highly concentrated helium; she abruptly presumed that he was hitting on her. She turned around in her vogue pose to break another heart – she saw Ellis pointing at her brush on the ground. As he turned to walk away he heard her heels scurrying across the concrete. He thought of Marta, and how she often had to do her gracious over the top apology. It comes with being too hot and thinking everyone wants to get in your pants.
2008 – 2010 © PostHood
