Perhaps it’s just a simple case of throwing a bone to a pack of hungry dogs. You watch them fight for the bone, each demonstrating their own qualities and tactics to win and eat. On second thoughts, nah. 

I never spoke at the café. I couldn’t bring myself to slow down the process. I wonder if they appreciated that? Getting to know people was out of the question. Do you let them in? The human things that bring us closer together, but there’s a blind down over the light of conversation. Laughter was shared, as it helps to be closed and good natured as one could be.

Dear thumbs,

Today I give you the honoured task of contacting our friends on my behalf. Nice, good start – a bit self referential but it will do. Thumbs up from me. Good one – haha. Now that’s enough thumbs, I said enough! I’m in control here. No

Thumbs, stop it. Put

That down! No no noooooooo! ArgHhhhjaaarkh.

Dear friends of the mighty thumbs,

We have this human in our

possession and require a sacrifice.

Your life energies must be spent if he is to be released. No sooner than your full physical attendance and he will be free, relatively unharmed. At the moment we have him in shackles, hanging by his false thumbs in a dungeon we won in a game of Bejewled last Spring. But enough of that- the time has

come. Join us in selective merriment dressed as a thumb.

We suffered a walk together down track. There is nothing so invasive as walking at the same speed. He’d

Turned onto the track just before

I, so I’d perched off his shoulder in unhappy pursuit. Waiting on the wings for him to politely slow down, a time in fact which never arrived. As custom I slowed for oncoming traffic and loaded

Uncomfortably behind him. The unwieldy appendage to this two person conga line. Whenever I drew up along side, he seemed to flinch and, blinking rapidly all the while, increase his old-man jangling pace. I’d slow again for oncoming traffic to avoid any upset or disaster and

ironed my malcontent with quiet frustrations towards enjoying the walk and soaking up the environment. In spite of this gentle reasoning, my work-mind persisted. Annoyed with the awkward impassable problem, we scurried on Practically besides each other.

Brewed something new. Inside myself bubbles a fear of sneezing and a worry that’s not wanting to disappoint or talk. Say nothing. Sit, cold and shy. Frail, avoiding fate and the temptation of futures clash. Go with the flow, it will all just happen to you. “Thanks,” no eye contact. Disconnect, warmer, warmer, shorts, physics things running under cold water. Shackles, rattled bones and chains. A sick, digest. Bubbling, rumbling throes. Dispose, sit, piss, dum, flush. Community, disconnect. Games, flush, axe spot. My face.

I’m opening a vein here.
My life force leaving my body.
Pulse, pulse, dullards.
Mundane, check out – keep a low profile.
Money in, money out.
Garbage in, garbage out.
Sitting, flesh on the toilet.
Wasting away. Filling up. Bobbing sick with the time spent disengaged.

A – Apple
B – Ball
C – Carrot
D – Drum
E – Elephant
F – Fox
G – Gate
H – Hat
I – Ink
J – Jump
K – Kid
L – Log
M – Mouse
N – Nose
O – Fox
P – Pie
Q – Queen
R – Rice
S – Sing
T – Toe
U – Umbrella
V – Violin
W – Water
X – Fox
Y – Yellow
Z – ZZZZZzzzzzz

How does this work?

This setup of ours

Has too much shifted

Can we wind back the hours?

Ah, there’s my other glove, said Bellpick. She had only noticed because she was turning. Bellpick was a car.

Over the long weekend. I lost a close and dearest friend. As Jack and Jill went up the hill, his need was cured with a tiny pill. The extra strain on heart and brain climaxed in pain when he finally came. Vital parts flopped and the pumping stopped. As he lost his life, in his wife.