very short stories

__(though love be a day
__and life be nothing,it shall not stop kissing).

____ee cummings








untitled, shesaskeleton


____1. the perspective problem
stop sign. the car slows. then starts again. her voice carries on without interruption. "and the point is, when people say it's not the world, it's not... like life or anything, they say it's a matter of how you look at it ya know?, it's the way you view things, your lens or whatever, and the issue is your 'state', how you view things that " and it is night and it is dark. the trees are barely visible, just massive shadows merging into the nightsky. "so maybe it's just me, i mean, people suggest it is me, the way i look at things- maybe everything is actually just fine, and it's just a matter of... of... faulty vision ya know?" SLAM on the breaks - the car screeches forward we're both launched into the grip of our seatbelts and you hear fffff*ccccckkkkk twice simultaneously. the red Audi drives away oblivious. "what the f*ck was that?"
"it's just your perspective Monz. that was not a red Audi that almost killed us. it was a lollipop. it was travelling at fast speeds. that over there is not a stop sign. it's a buttermilk pancake. it's just your vision that's faulty."
a mad delerium of laughter ensues.


____2. dinner conversation
- how's your salad?
- fine.
- did you turn the light in your room off?
- yes.
- you should also close the blinds.
- ...
- seriously, when it gets dark close the blinds.
- ...
- seriously
- what the hell!, fine, jeez.
- people can see into your room.
- so?
- so! so? uhm, when i took the trash out you were coming out the shower!
- so?
- SO, i saw your penis. also, why did you check your email nude?, that's ridiculous.
- [eruption of laughter]
- how's that funny?
- [chuckling]
- how's your salmon?
- it's awesome. seriously, do you know how good it is?
- how good?
- it's soo good i'm having trouble deciding whether i should eat it or f*ck it.
[her hand raises up. but then she stops to think... finally decides it is in fact a compliment. her face relaxes. she strikes me anyway]
- OH! what the hell!
- ... you still said the f-word at the dinner table.


____3. Ashtree
you're easy to remember. tru dat. i'd like to say i tell the time by you, but it's hard to read the watchface. mostly i like to carry you around on my wrist. get on it. and sometimes i think to myself Q & A with Q & A and giggle- it would make a great television show. or quirky thing to write on a wedding invite that's what she said. and you have ridiculous toe-nail polish. and wide shoulders, with little tiny freckles. it's not red, there's no red. (there is). and once we sat in the Starbucks at Pontius & Sepulveda for a couple hours with me talking non-stop about mostly homicidal ideations and how much i hated the notion of family and you just nodded. and you were off on a mountain somewhere when i finally left (August 10th), and something about that seems all wrong. ______(much love)


____4. a recital in the afternoon
i am playing something. softly. she creeps into my room and crawls into my bed, besides the piano. i don't stop, i just turn my head to look at her. she places index finger on her lips to indicate she'll be silent. i don't mind. i finish the song. papers are ruffled as i pick the next song. play again- softer than i need to. it just seems appropriate. then another. another. another. finally i notice she still has her hands covering her lips and her cheeks are wet with tears. ? i ask. she nods in response. (it means everything). i can't bear to look at her any longer so i go to select another song. what do you remember? she loves this question. she knows i remember everything. from that time. you know i haven't heard you play since Plympton. she's right. that's when i left home. after that her, i, and a piano were never in the same place. that's like... 7 years. she nods, yeah. what do you remember? the green swing outside. Tameeka would sit on it when she smoked. in the rain. anytime. i'd sit with her. drink tea. this same piano was in the lounge room. you would shout at me from the kitchen. Sahar would shake her head that's not music go-doos in response to Webern. Tameeka would sit on the only other furniture in that room, pretend to read, but really just look at me. once we came home no one was around we somehow stumbled and fell onto the carpet in the middle of the room. it was dark. what do you remember?
what?
what do you remember?
oh. this and that. [she nods. she knows what that means: everything]


____5. nocturne
well?
tomorrow: we try again.