My body is not
a wonderland.

there is nothing
sultry about
A Cold.

'Come hither' with a
red nose?
Oh Baby...

Commentary on
Modern Music,
nearly halted by
an almost snot rocket...
Authority tempered
with a rasp.

"Did you know you could
DIE if you hold in a sneeze?"
9 year old anecdotal prophet's
looming outline, right up close to
my face.

messy  half-dreams under the
futile winter-hat Reality Shield in the
backseat of  Homeward bound
Economy Wheel Gathering.

**** Man Voice to
telemarketers.

No sir, that's Mrs. White.

I was cleaning out the fridge today

And in the back I found this "thing"

It was furry, soft and squishy

From the mind of Stephen King

I didn't want to touch it

It looked like a tangerine

But, from all the fur and oozy stuff

I don't know what it had been

I knew I had to move it

But I wasn't sure quite how

I'd seen things much more appealing

Come from the rear end of a cow

I emptied out the other stuff

I put them in the sink

I was left with this small land mine

That really had a stink

I needed some protection

Before I tried to grab this bomb

so, I closed the door real quiet

And I went to get some on

I put on swimming goggles

To protect my eyes in case

It exploded when I grabbed it

And it jelly-fied my face

I then grabbed my old rain coat

And put it on all front to back

So my front was well protected

In case this thing chose to attack

Hockey gloves to save my hands

Work boots were for my feet

All this to dispose of this

Thing that people eat

I opened up the door again

And as I looked inside

I could swear this thing was throbbing

And it had grown to twice it's size

I slammed the door and grabbed a beer

I had some in the sink

I had to get this thing destroyed

I needed time to think

I called up both my neighbors

I said "Evacuate" the street

I told them I was killing

Some thing that people eat

I couldn't tell them what it was

Because I wasn't sure

I must have bought it months ago

But I didn't know what for

If I knew that this would happen

If the expiration passed

If I knew this when I bought it,

I would have eaten it real fast

I went to get the garbage

I put three new bags inside

I would put the thing inside one

And would then get all three tied

I'd run it to the dump myself

But, I'd have to freeze it first

Because, Imagine what would happen

If the plastic bags had burst

One more thing I had to do

was get some stuff to hide the scent

I thought I'd get some vapo rub

So off to search I went

Now, all prepared and goggled up

in raincoat and in gloves

I was set to grab this thing

For push had come to shove

I opened up the door and there

Where the thing had just now been

Was nothing, not a single thing

Where was my thing of green?

It didn't get out on it's own

And no one would eat it up

The only one who'd like it

Was our garbage eating pup

It was at this point I saw my son

Rolling outside like a log

Playing with our whirling dervish

He had fed it to the dog!!

Automnes de Luchon

Phébus s'était lové sur le val de Luchon,
Les arbres rougeoyaient comme sous le pinceau,
D'un Van Gogh qui aurait amené la Provence,
Dans les vertes Montagnes des Pyrénées centrales
Non **** de l'Aneto et très près du Vénasque.
Mais tout ce verdoiement laissait place à l'automne.
Avec ses rougeoiements, ses mauves et ses dorés.
Et les fins cheveux roux donnés par des buissons.
La nature semblait avoir changé d'atours.
Pour nous faire oublier l'été et ses douces torpeurs.
Les Erables, les Tulipiers et les Cerisier sauvages se parent,
D'atours d'or ou de rouge sang,
Comme pour les noces des feuilles et de la lune.
Oui, les derniers rayons sont toujours les plus beaux !
Dans les futaies et les clairières pourpres.
Et l’automne tendre a  ce goût de châtaignes,
Grillées dans les jardins ou embaumaient  les roses.
Et de flambées heureuses et de baisers brûlants.
La montagne est si belle que l'on voudrait figer.
Ces splendeurs éphémères et suspendre le temps.
Afin de contempler toujours ces beautés vives
De la ville Coquette et du val arboré.
Les jardins de «la Pique» faisaient belle figure,
Si près de la rivière aux eaux vivifiantes.
Et l'ancien Casino nous donnait à songer,
Aux beautés d'autrefois alanguies, sous la soie,
Dans les bals bien réglés parés d'un luxe doux
Ou il faisait parfois bon savoir jeter bas,
Les fausses les convenances pour le beau Cupidon.
Aujourd'hui; riantes et bronzées, les belles
Sont sportives, parcourent la Montagne.
Et viennent au «vapo» pour bien se délasser.
Oh; Reine d'autrefois, toujours ville de charmes.
Tes automnes suggèrent des rêves de bonheur,
De vies épanouies et de soins pour les êtres.
Ou il est reposant de venir t'admirer.
Parmi tes fleurs, les arbres et ton air vivifiant.

Paul Arrighi