neumann sat in his observation module
fingering the velvet frost he had bought from zeitgeist
zeitgeist was a discoteque/biblioteque/boutique
in the old town in actionstrasse
the sky was red and torn and tattered
a cold winters day staggered to an end
in the streets urchins were peddling angelfruit
the moon was too scared to show itself
so everyone crept in the shadowy fog
slo mo
lo key
neumanns latest gig was filming some secret bullshit
he was bored by the assignment
he met his girlfriend hilda at the nietzche cafe
rudy theyve changed the menu she said
huh ? said neumann who was still in undazzling mode
i thought meat was outlawed last year by the e.u.
neumann checks the menu
cannibal burgers
sure enough, the “carni-vore”
could contain meat products
cmon he pulls the girls arm
we’re leaving
outside cologne is cold and bitter
rudy, what does it all mean
neumann reaches into his pocket
the syllable gun snug against thigh
in case theres a war of words
raining droning coming down
a taxi pulls up
someone watches from a window in a flat
too much undazzling for neumann
when they get back to hildis flat
he stumbles in and stretches out on the floor
in shivasana
hildi pours them both a black liqueur
made from belladonna and sage
and wormwood flowers
the rain turns to sleet
she holds his heavy blond head in her hands
want some music, rudy she says
yeah if you like said the ageing spy
back with two beasts she says
neumann settles back
as the first notes of snowfaller begin
the first snow of the winter
adhered briefly and then melted on the window
there were some big fish to fry somewhere
neumann found it hard to relax
the girl used the spellman technique
on his third eye
neumann fell into a hypnagogic slump
dreambeings walked past him in the streets
the factories in the distance kling klang in time
the cars in the underpass swelling like a schoool of fish
the changing lights, the flickering signs, the reflected glare
the computers that were out there computing
the measurers all a’measurin’
neumanns head spun with the sudden enormity of it
all
do you like that rudy? came the girls voice
from very far away
stills of locations
coded numbers
exchanges
translations back into english like this one
take it easssy baybee he barely whispered
the speeding porsches and fords coating the night with white noise
one by one the lights go out in apartments
everything still
thats all…