Flight

I could feel my heart thumping like it was trying to beat its way out of my chest. So far it had found it's  way up to some where in the middle of my brain. The thumping was kaboom, kaboom, kaboom. My head ached in a pounding rhythm with my heart. My lungs sucked the air as if there very little left in the world and I had to get what was left.

My legs throbbed in agony. I waited in the shadows trying to hear those that followed me. It was hard to hear anything because my body was screaming at me. My brain screamed ...RUN...my legs wouldn't listen.

I was gasping for more air but I could hear the sirens...the wheee...wooo, then the kleghorns, the clangs.

But, they were getting fainter or was my heart, my lungs sucking the foul alley air was masking how close they were. Their voices, their yells had gone away. I crawled in behind some garbage cans and waited to find my breath.

I waited an hour, maybe longer and then I renewed my flight. I stayed to the alleys and dark streets always stopping, waiting, listening for someone, anyone to scream that I had been found. 

Some how I made it back to my section of town and safety. I had been crazy to go into the backs streets of Taiwan away from the American bars. Drinking their home made Absinthe had made me crazy and a Chinese bar girl had picked my pocket. I felt her hand but she was out the door before I could grab her.

I followed her into the night and the cab I saw her get into. I grab the next cab and we followed them deep into the bars that were off limits to American personnel. She left the cab and walked into an alley. I followed until I saw her enter a sleazy bar three blocks away. She wasn't aware that I was following her and when I walked into the bar she was talking to the bar tender. No one else was there...just the three of us. I grabbed her arm and told her I wanted my money.  The bar tender told me to leave. She denied that she took the money. I picked up a glass and threatened to break his big mirror behind the bar if he didn't make her to give me the money.

He said, "You go now, GI or I call police."

I threw the glass and  then another and another. He was on the phone screaming something in Taiwanese. She was trying to hold my arms...to keep me from breaking the glass. I threw another. It crashed into the mirror and then another and finally the mirror broke. He was screaming into the phone. She was screaming at me and hitting me.

Then I heard the sirens getting closer and I ran out the back door of the bar into an alley and I had no idea where I was or how I was going to get away.  Getting caught was not something I wanted to think about. Even though we had immunity from the Taiwanese police. the time between when they caught you or arrested you and when they turned you over to the M.P.'s was not a pretty one.

I walked back into the bar where it all started and ordered another beer and a shot of Absinthe. A pretty little bar maid snuggled up to me and and said, "You like to buy me a drink G.I?"

I said, "Sure, why not."

written by gs batty for Two Shoes Tuesday

for my next trick

for my next trick

i will effloresce

into a writer

is that you

giggling

in the background

no, i'm sure

it can be done

with just a wee bit of effort

pull a plot from

my sleeve

sprinkle characters here and there

good guys and bad guy

sweet girls with skorts

sexy girls in tight shorts

some love, some hate

and maybe a murder

and a keystone kop

when my story begins to bloom

you won't giggle any more

but you may want to holler stop

beause this plot will surely effloresce

into an Amorphophalius titanun

which does not smell like a geranium

gs batty for Sunday Scribblings

Psst...here's a note

Psst…I heard a voice say. I looked but there was no one there.

Psst…there it was again and again, no one.  True, it was soft and had the soft tones of a woman or maybe a young girl but I distinctly heard it

Yes that was it. It was the voice a young girl…the voice of my grade school sweetheart. I could see her face, smell her enticing lilac perfume as she said softly in my ear while passing me a note…"psst..note coming"…

I remembered the excitement I felt as I opened and read the note…one whole page of X's and 0's…I remembered that we were in love…going to be married…but that was the sixth grade. She moved away that summer and I never saw her again.

Strange, I thought. This underground city is really creepy and now I'm hearing things. The tour group had gone on ahead of me and I moved to catch up.

Psst…I heard it again…"JoAnn?...Is that you?  Where are you?"

"You can't see me. I can't believe you still recognize me or my voice. It's been so long."

"This is crazy. I have to be dreaming. I haven't seen or talked to you in twenty years. Why are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding. I'm a Sylph."

"A Sylph? …What is a Sylph?"

"A person without a body."

"That's impossible.  How can you be a person without a body? This had to be a joke."

"No, when I was sixteen I acquired some kind of somatic nerve disease and I passed away."

"So you're a ghost or a spirit…right?"

"No, I'm a Sylph. When I departed your world I was naked and ended up in a seamless void."

"What does naked have to do with it and what is a seamless voice?  Is this a Joke?"

"No, it's true. My mother brought me to Seattle to some kind of faith healer. She told us that to be cured we had to pray in this underground city.  They tethered my naked body to a pole and danced around me shaking some kind of potions all over me.  Then they left me tethered to the pole until first light. They said that during the full moon the demons that controlled my body would leave and I would be cured."

I didn't know what to say.  She was there talking to me or rather her voice was there but I couldn't see her. I was sure it was some kind of joke being played by someone from the underground tour. But, how did they know about JoAnn and her voice?…it was her voice.

I stammered, "That must have been awful, I'm sorry."

"You needn't be sorry. You didn't do it to me…they did."

She pointed to a dark area in the back of the tunnel we were in and I could see four bodies hanging from a rafter.  Their faces were grotesque and bloated. I gagged and began to wretch.

"That's what I wanted to tell you. I got away and when they came back, I killed them all. Now, every night I dance around them and poke them with sticks and throw their own potions on them."

I could only mutter…"That's horrible!"

"I know," she said…as the ax hit my head.

                                                                                                       gs batty/for mindlovemisery

Spirits for the spirit

I was snoozing in my easy chair when the "Ghost of Christmas Past" spirited my spirits away.  Actually he snuck into my house, drank all my booze and then wanted me to take him to the liquor store for more.

Stupidly, I agreed.

 But, then I remembered it was New years Eve and I wasn't about to drive or walk to a liquor store to get a drunk spirit and more spirits. He said that if I would just go in and buy the booze he would get me there.

"How? I asked.

"Simple," he belched. "We will fly."

So we floated to the liquor store on the fumes of his breath.  I did enjoy floating along with the breeze looking into windows until I saw a naked man exercising.  I almost fell off his whisky breath.  I asked him to fly higher or maybe take the freeway but he grumped something about me not keeping my mind on the business at hand.

"We were going for booze, not window peeping." he said.

"You've had enough booze and if I want to window peep I will,"  I grumped back.

"I will drink if I please," he snorted.

We floated to a stop in front of the liqueur store, his breath dissipated and I plopped to the cement in a heap.

He chortled, "There you go, smart ass.  You don't even know how to dismount from a cloud of alcohol breath.  Where would you be if you were riding a storm cloud?  I'll tell you where.  You would be flipped around like a rag doll and probably thrown all the way to Mt. Ararat and all those stranded animals."

"Mt. Ararat? Stranded animals? You're crazy."

"Again, you're confused," he replied. "Ghosts can't be crazy.  Or to put it another way, crazy people are not allowed to become ghosts."

"I suppose you have a ghost control center," I said,

"Sure! Do you think it would be smart to allow just anyone to become a ghost?  Think of the havoc it would wreak.  I mean consider letting Charles Manson become a ghost.  I shudder to think of what harm he might do to our reputation."

"If crazy people can't become ghosts, what happens to them?"

"I don't know, that's not my department. Besides, we came for a bottle of booze so if you would please just hop in there and get me one, I would be grateful."

"Where's your money, I asked?"

"My you are slow," he said. "Haven't you ever heard the phrase, 'you can't take it with you'? So, if I couldn't take it with me maybe you might just figure that I don't have any."

"I'm not paying for your booze," I told him.

"Well if your broke just go in there and steal a bottle. I'm not particular. Any one of them will do."

"I'm not a thief.  I think we should just forget the whole thing. You just go back to wherever the hell you came from and I'll take a cab home."

"I need that bottle.  After tonight, I won't be able to drink again until next Christmas."

"So you're sort of like Cinderella. When the clock strikes midnight, you disappear. Is that right?"

"That's it old buddy, so if you would hurry on inside and get that bottle I will forever grateful. You might check to see if they have any "Luscious Watermelon Wine."

"I suppose you're partial to old dogs and children too," I smiled.

"Me and Tom T. Hall. Yes maamee, me and Tom. T Hall, 'Old Dogs and Children an Watermelon Wine'. Now hurry on in there and get me bottle before it's to late."

Well now, it became impossible to deny his request. So I went inside and bought a bottle of Watermelon Wine and me and the Spirit of Christmas past drank a toast to Old Dogs and Children and Watermelon Wine and Mr . Tom T. Hall

Happy birthday Mr. Tom T. Hall and may you live to sing for another 77 years.

                                                                                      Old Grizz

viva le difference

When I was young

and in my prime

I used to wonder all the time

about the girl next door

and what was under

the things she wore

I asked my friends

if they knew

or if they had ever seen that view

we talked and joked 

about that mysterious wonder

known only as the place down under

the older boys bragged that they knew

and that is was really different 

and an awesome view

we would slowly

walk by the girls gym door

hoping to see just a little bit more

When I was older

and my time had come

to be a little brave and somewhat bolder

I ask a girl to go with me

to view the submarines in the sea

but unfortunately that curious unveiling was not to be

finally one wonderful night

I discovered the view that had been haunting me

with a girl that was my bride to be

now that I'm

old and getting gray

I get to see her every day

the difference has never grown old

the problem is

I'm no longer young and bold

voice in the night

the look of sly

in her eye

me just stopping in

the smile of hither

on her lips

left my blood on boil

she said yes

she would go with me

I hoped the best was yet to come

We watched the owls

hoot in the night

but the best was yet to come

the touch the caress the kiss

her body burning mine

my fingers trembling, fumbling

the light that shocked my eyes

the voice the screamed "police"

the best was not yet to come
                                             gs batty

written for Carry on Tuesday

Mother and Minnie

"Folks here's a story 'bout Minnie the Moocher…

and  here's a story of my mother.

…"She was a red hot hoochie coocher,.."

not my mother…Minnie the Moocher.

…"She was the roughest, toughest frail,…"

not my mother…Minnie the Moocher

…"but Minnie had a heart as big as a whale…."

but, you say

Minnie was just a prostitute

oh yes, but a compassionate one

that certainly wasn't my mother

Ho-dee ho-dee ho

Ho-dee ho-dee ho

I'm sorry, she was compassionate but not a prostitute

…"She (Minnie) messed around with a bloke named smokey…'

my mother never messed around.

…"she loved him even thought he was cokie…"

my mother never knew cokie

Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi

Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi

my mother sang along with Cab

while she did her laundry

in the basement

with a wash board and a wringer

Hey-dee hey

Hey-dee hey

her dark raven hair…her soft lovely voice

but not with Cab ad Minnie

she danced around the dank basement

 and vocalized as if she was on Broadway

Whoah

Whoah

and then she would laugh

a sweet melodic laugh

and tweek my nose

oh I hope you're a singer

and then she would carry the wash

out to the clothesline and I would tag along

and she would sing

"Hi-dee, he-dee, hi-dee hi"

"Oh, I'm Minnie the moocher."...

I was born in  1939 and the period of my life that this poem references is when I was 4 or 5 years old. I doubt that my mother ever realized that the song was about prostitution and drugs.  She just loved the music and trying to repeat the weird jazz lyrics that Mr. Calloway sang.

From Wkiipedia

"Minnie the Moocher" is a jazz song first recorded in 1931 by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, selling over 1 million copies. "Minnie the Moocher" is most famous for its nonsensical ad libbed ("scat") lyrics (for example, "Hi De Hi De Hi De Hi"). In performances, Calloway would have the audience participate by repeating each scat phrase in a form of call and response. Eventually Calloway's phrases would become so long and complex that the audience would laugh at their own failed attempts to repeat them.

"Minnie the Moocher" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

The song is based both musically and lyrically on Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon's 1927 "Willie the Weeper" (Bette Davis sings this version in The Cabin in the Cotton). The lyrics are heavily laden with drug references. The character "Smokey" is described as "cokey", meaning a user of cocaine; the phrase "kicking the gong around" was a slang reference to smoking opium.

Memories are made of this

thanks for the prompt

Old Grizz

Born not to be

Continually running through the back of my brain (like a non-stop loop on a TV news program) is the religious training that I received as a child. The name of the religion matters not except to say it is one of the Christian faiths.

The population of county that I was raised in was only a wee bit shy of being 100% of that faith. I had no other teachings of religion, except that there were other religions but they were all wrong. Naturally.  those that did not convert to the "true religion" were destined for hell.

Sometime in  my teens years I began to question and the answer  was always, "you must have faith".
But somehow I was unable to find the "faith".

I would ask questions like, "If there is a Chinese man living in China that has lived a perfect life and could walk next to Jesus with no shame, will he go to hell?"

"Yes, unless he converts to us," was always the answer.

I have never been able to accept that and therefor, I have never been able to really accept the religion I grew up in.  Also, I have discovered that other religions have the same beliefs.  I am not saying that all of them do because I do not know that for a fact.

The stigma for me is that my brain has been branded as if with a hot iron and I cannot totally reject what I was taught as a child so finding another religion would not solve my problem. I am not confused about the god I believe in and I think he and I have a pretty good relationship.

Please, I would ask of anyone reading this not to think I am defiling anyone else's religion. We all have to choose and walk in the path that suits us best. I have found mine and I am happy.

come what may

come what may
I've looked far and wide
but cannot find a word to say

I walked the streets
 sat in the park
even read Yeats and Keats

but all to now avail
come what may
feels like I'm in jail

so I just wandered up and
down the streets
and ended up at Whiskey Pete's

I may not be able to write
come what may
guess I'll try come what might

                                                              gs "lost" batty

                                                                                                            for Carry  on Tuesday

fear

dark, spinning

mind body room

spinning

an eddy

of fear

help please

fear of

the unknown

this awful spinning unknown

voices voices voices

who are they

what are they

the angels of light

the shadows of hell

help please

spinning bouncing shaking

don't take me

don't leave me

where are you

come to me

help me please

that light

that piercing awful light

someone anyone help me

thumping spinning thumping

something thumping

my heart my blood spinning

where is it going

where am I

where am I going

that light

that light again

no people no angel no devil

a soft voice

a touch of love

a touch of care

yes she's here

yes yes yes

help me please help me

I'm afraid

the spinning the pounding

so afraid

help me please
please be there
I need you

with your hand
and your your heart
I will always need you

please don't
leave me here
I am so afraid

that which spins

arms and legs

forming an X

body burning inside

head spinning

round and round

up and down

heart beating, pounding

waiting to explode

where am I

who am I

I struggle

the thought spinning

inside

my aching head

my pounding heart

I am

the womb the seed the egg

the whistle in the night

the pit the cherry the tree

the soil the plant the berry

the mountain the stream the brush

the flora the fauna the clouds

the school the teacher the fountain

the  walk the trot the run

the silence the noise

the night the day

the sun and the moon

I am

spinning round and round

spinning up and down

I am 

that which

spins inside me

                                    gs batty

the girl with the Golden Ass

she was old

but so am I

she asked for a quarter

her blond hair ragged

her clothes tattered

her eyes defeated

she seemed familiar

maybe someone from the past

I searched my mind

a memory returned

blue eyes and blond hair

come, dance with me, I said

it's already taken

the smoke drifting

from her nose

disappointed I watched

as she laughed

in another's arms

I asked the bartender

who she might be

a girl with a golden ass

was his reply

an answer that confused me

but I was to shy to inquire as to why

I doubt that she remembers

me or the night at the bar

but over the years

I watched from afar

first one man to enjoy her smile

and then another after awhile

over the years

she had disappeared

from my mind

but now there she was

broke, homeless and alone

I gave her the quarter and reached for more

but she turned and hurried away
 the girl with the golden ass

that had passed me by

a tear washed my cheek

for the blond with the blues eyes

that once had stolen my heart

                                                  gs batty

time to grow up

children live in once upon a time

believe it or not

so do a lot of adults

                                gs batty

From Old Grizz's world of quotes