Dream Damage

Halftime Johnson went to

London

found his mother onaspike kissing the wind.

All the toilets overflowed blackbeanscorntomatoes. Halftime Johnson

was not

feeling himselfthat Wednesday.

Sing a song of sorrow, the cat has got outdoors.

Sing a song of sympathythe gunthe rockthe broken

blade.Woe be to Halftime.Woe be to you.

Halftime Johnson almost firedHalftime Johnson afeared,

circles in red ink, sheds a tear. Woe, woe, woe.The plastic

bag has choked a seal, a gull, a shark. Where’s the door?

Where’s the hinge? The brain is full of rot.

In Vietnam his skin went rot. They sent him200 km

over.Stop for the skin of the man aliveso wetdampmoist it rots.

War.Halftime Johnson, ohHalftime Johnson, oh no.

The school is red.The school is yellow tape.Oh!bangbangyou’redead

bangbangyou’re-red. Halftime Johnson, wait, just wait

Halftime Johnsonthinkno singO

the carol pitchesleft and rightthe carol pitchessqueak.

The cat mews; Ha, you little riot. The dog’s head tilts.Toy bears

jingle their sang.Laugh Halftime laugh

a bow a bell a throwing stick a dongdongdingalingalong. So long.