9 January 2006 | Vol. 5, No. 4
Charles Manson
While covered with dragon's blood in the forest
of olives I find a note tied to a passing
balloon. Jesus, a second grader from Wisconsin,
has learned cursive, he is happy I received
his note. When I was a child, the government
tattooed my mother's blood type under
her left arm. Nuclear meltdown
was inevitable, they said. Soon, they would
flood my town to build a reservoir,
a playground for weekend recreationists.
They said that all our pain was based upon
not seeing the way things really are,
which I remember years later while listening
to the veterinarian shave my cat's ass.
Could it be that she refuses to accept
her weight problem, her urinary tract infection?
The government said that our aversion to pain
was what caused our suffering and not the pain
itself. I remember this as I am standing
in the forest of olives covered with dragon's blood.
The green lights are ascending
into the night sky. I am at our trysting place.
I know all too well that we will never
speak again.
About the author:
Jason Bredle is the author of A Twelve Step Guide, winner of the 2004 NMP/Diagram Chapbook Contest. If you've ever loved him, you know what it's like to be hurt by him. He can be reached at knifemachine.com.
For further reading:
See the complete list of work by Jason Bredle at 42opus. Browse the contents of 42opus Vol. 5, No. 4, where "Charles Manson" ran on January 9, 2006. List other work with these same labels: poetry.
