Excerpt, Chapter 2: “Let’s Be In Hollywood!”

Nothing for us in the swamps Along the prairies in the banks Beneath quarries and the pearls There's only tinsel and the stage Let's be in Hollywood Awaiting the end of the world Nothing phony nor fake Except the crucifix and stakes Cadence of showgirls Rhythms on the page Wisdom of the sage Awaiting the end of the world He's breathing through his mouth squeezing Hands into fists and funny shapes Says "I left my wallet in the car baby Just need a beer then I could get us out of here Don't want to be morbid or morose But your husband is seconds from a heart attack And he can't craft a joke But me I can make you laugh" Nothing for us in the blocks Amongst the wary spindleshanks Bury me with flags unfurled Set it ablaze trace the spotlights on the stage Await the end of the world It's not the acclaim or the bodies 'round the grave Ascribing weight to our words It's the gasps and feints Of those who knew your name Awaiting the end of the world Lived flesh compressed by poor posture and gravity Shattered mugs Flabby biceps Grip twitchy and weak Baby I just long to be anything but me Or in the pages of a paperback wistful and sweet Lived flesh attests to bereavement and grief Shattered mugs for ships in the west Tremors in the hull and in the ferryman's feet Like him I long to be a grifter seldom believed Or in the pages of a screenplay that drifts unwittingly Nothing for us in the creeks That hasn't been seen Discovered by other girls Consumed by the waves and the soundstage Awaiting the end of the world No blemish or age can spoil masquerades When we're in makeup and plural I know it's dumb but let's get steady While we await the end of the world