an untitled street
a beautiful street in the new world
these un-named trees twisting and writhing in the breeze
these unknown flowers arranged in lovely clusters
san pedro like cactii with magic flesh i’m sure
walking along
its a scrumptious afternoon
it will make your memory grow fat
the gentle late autumnal sun
a mild night awaiting in the wings
yet here you are
who are you?
not the faintest idea
no name attached with certainty
no business being here or anywhere else
youre drifting along
waiting for some force to guide you
in some places the trees arc right over the street
in their cool shade is the whisper of water
in your jacket pocket
you discover the butt of a spliff
you crouch down in against a wall
the autumn sun right in your eyes
the world becomes so very still
the breezes cease to ruffle the lawns and grasses
all becomes so silent
all becomes so tranquillized
you crouch down and the sun warms behind your eyes
you stick that spliff in your mouth
its been a long time since you smoked
its been a long long time since you…..
you cant really remember anything properly
you find a lighter in your pocket
small and black it says bic
you light the spliff
draw down that aromatic acrid smoke
theres only a couple of drags in it
so you inhale deeply deeply
watching the bees pollinate the flowers
and you notice the incredible attraction between them
you hear the flowers so inaudibly sigh
as the bee fusses round
buzzing happily and collecting the pollen
squeezing into the flowers mouth and popping back out
you are outside number 23
a two story house with a driveway
unusual clouds streaked across the sky
like flat white men with long fingers
the sky becomes a washed out blue as the afternoon will fade
you exhale the smoke
a rush of intangible ideas in your head
you chase them all for a while
you waste your time trying to put them into words
they are too elusive
you are simultaneously filled with a dreamy curiosity
and a faint feeling of hysterical panic
your mouth is dry
a thousand things occur to you at once
stupid things you said
flashes of places youve been
dreams of half memories
stories you read
stories you never read
paintings of nudes
womens bodies from magazines
mathematical formulae only vaguely grasped
snatches of conversation
sunlit vistas
your mothers hands
a donkeys sad eyes
the rippling sea at dusk
an old teacher you liked
running in a race
handcuffed and led away
someone kissing your neck so expertly
fluttering fingers on your back
the hole where you fish for your own blood
the whirl of music
an argument with your rival
the warmth and quiet of bed
wintery nights and the smell of smoke
a line from an advertisement
the feeling of cold feet
a confused sentence in another tongue
the man you could have killed
the person you might have been
the clock goes tick never tock
the taste of fresh raspberries
walking in a black forest
a blast of fresh air
the smell of disinfectant
the snap of surgical gloves
the deep incision…..
the afternoon reigns on
outside number 23
gold afternoon sits
all is so quiet
a distant mower maybe drones somewhere
no…even it is now gone
outside this strangers house
suddenly
a breeze picks up
a door slams
the wind picks up
the sky darkens
a mans voice on the wind
dogs barking
planes up in the clouds
planes full of holidays business and going home
planes with all the unseen people flying off
with their unknown alibis reasons excuses religions
people sipping cocktails or perhaps just an orange juice, thanks
a palm tree swaggers in the wind
like a young man tossing back his mane of hair
the pink flowers bobble bobble on the trees
but none of them know your name
and neither do you
unseen in the late day
the dying day
the shrinking sullen but not sunken sun
still you are stoned immobile
stoned immaculate
rooted to the spot
stuck in the afternoon like a pin
caught on the days thorns that cant let you go
a siren miles away
no yesterday
no past
no dreary details
no addictions
no abortions
no treatment
no fines
no bills
no dips
no remorse
no regrets
no song to sing
no words to remember
no doubts
no debts
no nothing
what does it all mean?
how would you know?
youre just a stranger outside 23
with no name
with no number
with no anything
at all