town tramp

there's one in every town one that gets left behind when the other girls head for broadway or hollywood and vine there's something about her something not quite there you think she'd be long gone but she's still here marked for trouble from the day she was born daughter of darkness child of scorn they whisper behind the curtains snicker at the general store you'd think she'd have had enough but she comes back for more len jones is a deacon in the church bob jackson has a spotless reputation but their eyeballs always follow her when she walks past the trailways station tommy wilson is the quarterback on the undefeated high school team but even on the night before the big game she haunts his dreams at night she goes out walking with her handbag trailing low she must be going somewhere but where is there to go? she wanders past the pool hall saunters past the five and dime she looks up at the moon and stars but stops at the county line

a mother's prayer

the angels will be waiting in heaven when they strap you to the electric chair they'll be waiting in heaven, joey if they listen to a mother's prayer if they listen to a mother's prayer for justice to be finally done for the truth to be finally triumphant as bright as the rising sun this world is fallen and twisted and drowned in a swamp of sin to save her helpless children oh how can a mother begin? you were such a beautiful child maybe just a little bit wild but deep down you were just pretending your inner light burned neverending your soul shone forth for all to see but you aroused the jealousy of those who want to drag things down there are plenty of them in this town who can't see in front of their noses and always see thorns not roses who are blinded by truth and beauty and think denial is their duty no, it wasn't the nicest neighborhood but i always taught you to be good yes, it was a mother's secret hope that you would be the first american pope now that hope will not be fulfilled thanks to mister district attorney de ville but what will be his own fate when he answers for his lies at heaven's gate? for the jurors who were led astray by his perfidy i have this to say i hope you never feel the pain i felt that day walking away in the rain the angels will be waiting in heaven when they strap you to the electric chair they'll be waiting in heaven, joey if they listen to a mother's prayer

a strange story

a strange story comes from the antarctic. on the morning of september 13th 17__, a vessel captained by the famous captain blackbeard was searching the waters directly north of the enderby abyssal plain in search of the giant cranch squid, when a longboat was spotted floating on the water. as night had fallen, it was impossible to make out if there were any inhabitants on board. "we shall wait until morning, " announced the captain, with his habitual caution. "if it is still there, we shall ascertain its exact situation, and the situations of anyone who might happen to be on board." "but captain," protested little nell, "there may be a map of the location of buried treasure on board the boat, or even a chest of treasure itself." "indeed," added sinbad the sailor," see how low in the water the stern is. there may well be a treasure chest weighing it down." "your point is well taken," replied blackbeard. "we can hardly afford to miss this chance," cried the medicine man. "especially considering how poorly our fortunes have gone since setting out on this unfortunate voyage, nominally in search of the giant cranch squid. after ten long months - no treasure - and no squid." "very well then," answered the captain. "the matter is settled. nellie, light a torch. lower a boat. an extra tot of rum, my lads, for every jolly jack tar who volunteers to board yon mysterious vessel - treasure or no treasure!" "i volunteer!" cried sinbad. "i will board the vessel first. who's with me, eh?" "i!" answered little nell. "i shall carry the torch!" "and i!" cried the medicine man. "i shall man the left front oar, right behind nellie!" "and i!" cried the wandering jew. "and i" cried the jesuit. "andI i!" cried the queen of clubs, shaking her curls. "and i!" shouted the queen of spades, louder than all the rest. the moonlight glittered on her eye patch. "oh, i shall go along," drawled the jack of diamonds, twirling his mustache. "then we have a crew," exclaimed sinbad. "well done, comrades, well and truly done!" in the twinkling of an eye the boat was lowered into the curiously placid water. with sinbad waving his cutlass and little nell holding the torch aloft, the little craft fairly sped along the surface toward the dark and silent vessel drifting in the mist. (professor thunderby paused and relit his pipe) and yet the drifting vessel seemed to remain curiously out of reach. "harder, comrades! harder!" cried the medicine man. "pull with a will!" a curious phosphorence played around the elusive craft, taunting the straining rowers. finally they drew abreast of the silent craft. but they had lost sight of the ship behind them. (professor thunderby's pipe went out again. the embers in the fireplace, likewise, flickered into darkness...) sinbad reached out with a grappling hook and seized the gunwale and pulled the drifting vessel close to the longboat. a desperate shout went up from the weary but jubilant oarpullers. little nell held her torch over the stern of the captured craft, which rode low and heavy in the water. "look!" she cried. "look ye! here be no treasure!" on the bottom of the boat, luridly lit by the flame of the torch, lay a body! the body of a young woman!" "is she dead?" cried the medicine man, looking over the shouder of sinbad. "dead?" he answered. "dead? aye, she looks like she's been dead these hundred years!"

voyage to star 25, part 2: mrs wilson's diner

for part one, click here

maisie was a philosopher nothing disconcerted her she had seen all the pictures, heard all the tales still had a little wind in her sails though her mind often seemed to drift she was always on time for her shift and had won mrs wilson's trust without breaking through her solid crust tonight, though, mrs wilson seemed vexed well, perhaps just a little perplexed her agitation gave maisie pause and she wondered what was the cause "some fellers came in tonight. they just didn't look right." maisie could hardly be more surprised though nothing showed in her dark eyes mrs wilson had run the diner for four decades she was not a blushing maid her patrons were not from the top drawer maisie had never seen her discombobulated before "um - what did these fellers say or do? did they actually threaten you? where was leroy? he's never around - " maisie laughed " - when you need him, i have found" "it wasn't what they did or said - but i could see right into their heads!" "well", maisie replied with opacity "i never knew you had such a capacity." "their evil ideas were fairly bursting forth from their skulls with walpurgisnachtian froth - " this was not mrs wilson's usual manner of speaking maisie wondered if her brains were leaking "well, leroy should be around soon why don't you go on over to your room -" (for mrs wilson lived right behind the shop) " - and laudanum why don't you take a drop?" "no, i don't want to sleep who know what terrors in the deep from which i may never return may writhe and slime and slash and burn -" maisie replied with a smile half bright "but isn't that true every night?" she proceeded to put her apron on and wished mrs wilson would run along "oh look, here comes leroy now" around midnight leroy craved some chow at morning noon and twilight too his stomach rumblings would come due leroy enforced the law in the little town always had a smile, hardly ever a frown he had a rusty badge and a billy club and he was everybody's bub he had a gun in his holster he had never drawn in miscreants' faces he would yawn and say why do you have to make a fuss yes, leroy was an amiable cuss "glad you decided to come round tonight mrs wilson has had a fright" but when maisie turned around mrs wilson's agitation was not to be found "it's nothing, leroy, don't worry yourself" mrs wilson took a pie down from the shelf "i was just being a neurotic old frump sometimes i get down in the dumps" incurious leroy, nowise upset on his favorite stool down his carcass let and with his customary yawning and stretching said "maisie, my dear, tonight you look particularly fetching" "and you too edna, you look as good as this pie" leroy thoughtfully rubbed his eyes things were back to normality and proceeded with customary informality some of the regulars came and went a few hard earned dollars they spent leroy continued to eat his fill and maisie leaned against the grill outside it started to rain, then thunder maisie began to idly wonder what had upset mrs wilson so perhaps, she thought, i will never know she heard a car pull up outside and then the door flung open wide leroy did not look back or up but slowly put down his coffee cup two customers stood in the door that maisie had never seen before they were very neatly dressed their shirts were ironed and their ties were pressed but such details seemed hardly germane as they stood there in the wind and rain their features maisie had never before seen their eyes were red and their faces were green

the lady and the cowpoke - a fragment

you ride the range you man so strange would you like an apple or an o-range? don't pick up that cat, it's got the mange she was a good old kitty cat and did her duties with eclat but life has wrestled her to the mat now there is no more this in her that i'm glad you dropped by look at the sky my oh my how time does fly are you sure you don't want some tea? the gypsy made it especially for me despite its curious pungency it really contains no mystery poor man, you look pale let me tell you a tale once there were three princesses with scarlet, gold and sable tresses who always wore white satin dresses and by a witch were given three guesses as to which kingdoms they would rule after they had finished school and which emperors were the biggest fools in which to sink their claws so cruel a crimson cloud across the sky drew the golden princess's eye and with a sad and mournful sigh she sat on a rock and began to cry o sister, cried the scarlet maid what has made you so afraid? have all our secrets been betrayed? and all our rescuers waylaid? ....... the cowpoke listened to the lady's tale and smiled and nodded without fail out in the distance he heard a wail a leaf flew past the window -- next a gale? the conversation reached another stage the parrot looks so unhappy in his cage let's turn the page would you like to blow some gage?

song of the damned number 21

i am just a lonely moocher with no present past or future and the windows watch me well on the rainy street to hell and my brain begins to hum for a taste of opium and its incandescent streams of fervid fleeting dreams i would sell my ragged soul for the tenth part of a bowl there's nowhere that i wouldn't slink for just one more - one more drink all you mandarins and missionaries in your mansions museums and libraries will you know a brighter final fate than the stranger dragging past your gate?

i was the one

i was the one i was there i walked the dog i bounced the ball i fed the cat i sang the song i was there i saw it all happen when it was over they came and asked me because i was the one i spun the chamber i calmed the crowd i sharpened the stake i pointed at the bird and the dog ran down the street i walked up the stairs i rang the bell i sold the encyclopedia i sat on the front porch lily mae came out and offered me a glass of lemonade i accepted politely and looked out at the street the crowd was gone the dog ran under the light i drank the lemonade and gave the glass back to lily mae who waited patiently while mrs jones looked out the window but i was not worthy even though i was the one i howled at the moon i grew the fangs i defied the mob i wept in despair i walked the dog i bounced the ball i mixed the mint julep i begged for forgiveness all these things happened in a single night a night that never ended i was there i was the one