APERERE-FLECTERE

down
Down below I saw the. . .
Let’s call him Mr. Parking

I had a bow
And one arrow. A good arrow
But now my bow had six strings!

that was strong "Mr. Parking sorcery" at work
Six strings: you can’t use a bow like that
Meanwhile the. . . the target was still in range

I decided I would shoot the arrow anyway
My one arrow, that good arrow
But now there were six men standing before me!

hello! the first one said. I am a salesman
What do you think of fantasy charts and graphs?
Oh! I said, I don’t know

hello! the second man said. I am a registrar
What name is written on your birth certificate?
Oh! I said, I said that I could not remember

hi! the third man said. I am a hangman
What is the last color you see when you die?
Oh! But how would I know? I tried: peacock blue

good day! the fourth man said. I am a pathfinder
What does it mean to you when there is a python on the path?
Oh! Well. . .

shhh, the fifth man said. I am a smuggler
What do you need? Missiles? Grenade launchers? Mortar guns?
Oh! Hey! What about hooks? For fishing. . .

nice to see you, the last man said. I am a medical practitioner
What can I do for you?
Oh! Nothing, nothing, NOTHING! I said and, yes, I also knocked on wood

I said: Let me see if I can manage this short interval of existence
Let me deal with my brain grooves and folds as I wish
Let me hand a femur to the flangunferrycks if they want one

let me experiment with lethargy (a little bit)
Let me lick dirty frying-pans clean if I want to
Let me forget about other kinds of pleasure if I feel like it

let me scream in the wind
Let me write new songs
Let me play the trumpet (the barrel-trumpet)

okay! Now the six men were gone. Mr. Parking was gone too
I didn’t have a bow anymore. No arrow!
So I just went back to sleep

::: ::: :::

[Picture: Aperere-flectere (the Sixth Sleeping Position) by reading_is_dangerous]