true stories from across the divide.

Today I ignored a crackhead who had an important message.

It was so important that he rasped, "miss!" multiple times even though his voice was surely almost spent. He tapped on my window after I'd run to the car, locked the door, and turned to scream, "I DO NOT KNOW YOU! GET AWAY FROM MY CAR! I DO NOT KNOW YOU!" through the glass.

He held up two fingers- not a peace sign. he had two teeth. he tapped again. two fingers. I drove away as his friend waved traffic into my now open spot.

I know I missed something.

meanwhile:

my father is in the locker room at the gym and a large man approaches him, trying to include him in some joke about lawyers.

the man says, "didn't mean to offend you, buddy. If you're a law--"

and my dad yells, "FUCK that SHIT." and proceeds to towel his head dry.

and the man has not talked to him since.

what the world needs now

is more simple people. 

not long now

When Good Things Happen to Bad People

Specifically, people who have treated you poorly.

These are the times when God might as well be whispering (as you learn of their happiness),

"Crawl back into your mother's womb."

Certainly, no one deserves anything.

And fairness was not promised by anyone.

(Justice is a pretend idea.)

But to know that somewhere that person is happy

while you are still caught in their terrible wake

is more than enough reason to face the fact that

The Universe is Indifferent,

and we are all just stuck here

shitting all over each other

and the last roll of toilet paper is out.

Dandy.

The Smiths and I own the Town.

I went out with my puffy, vintage, red jacket from Father and Son's.
even though there was a chance of me getting shot.
But after two guinness and some baily's at the "flat", all alone, dancing to Quasi on the wooden floor, in the light of the octopus lamp,
I felt like the world was my fucking bitch.
So I strode all over the sidewalk and owned it.
I owned it so hard, no gangster or hobo, or hipster said a word
but it was all false and my ears were swimming with The Smiths and
the promise of some other, new bar to visit. I have not been out in a long time.
I considered myself retired. but visiting was on my mind tonight.
So I did--Uptown. And it was not that great. Lots of older people. Crowded. Some couches. I know why a douchebag liked it. Cuz it's a douchey place. Nice bartenders, but douchebaggery all around.
A jukebox without The Smiths, and they were exactly what I wanted to listen to.
The only thing anyone said all night. A fat man walking from a bar,
doing a little hand jive like I was on the pavement, to the tune in his ears,
"Orange is your color!"

I am glad you made that mistake all night long.

well I told you I lived right, but you just kept making left turns.

You turned left all night and when it was a dead end, you went straight. 

then we were up a hill and that hill had hills and that was fenced in

and I said "just drive straight over the guard rail because I live down there"

but you said "no no no, that is the direction of my house."

20th was 18th and 18th was 23rd and things were all labyrinthed around. we laughed until we found ourselves ass to ass with three other cars up a hill's hill and a taxi behind us. somehow after backing down with the parking break still on, we crept up near a park and struggling with the gate lock, the sprinklers came on and soaked our shoes.

"it's an alarm system!" we ran around in circles until we jumped the fence.

well, you did. i found another gate and walked in. 

there were swings there, and they overlooked the city and all of its chumps. there were vague flickerings of waterlike movements on the horizon and cars passed so fluidly it is a wonder they are mechanical inside at all. 

the moon was out, just peeking through a hole in the trees, and the swings made creaks out of our names. I heard a thump and thought you might've jumped off early, but you'd thrown your day-old-second-hand gold and white purse into the sand behind you and stretched your arms out at the apex of the swing arch.

the city could've laughed in your face and you would not have cared.

but damn it, why don't you turn right when i say so