Naughts on Crosses
Thereās a revolution coming
I read it in a book
The pages were stuck together and some of the words were
ripped and disfigured
But this is what I think it said Or at least what it
should have said
I found the book in the attic My grandfatherās attic--heās
dead
Someone had stuffed under a picture I didnāt recognize the face
He had a mustache I think Iād look like him if I had one
The book was
handwritten in green and blue
You donāt see that much anymore I suppose
it was written a long time ago but the revolution still applies
Something
about the cursive and print meshed together in one word
Made me think
it still applied To me at least
I read it while I was real lonely
Perhaps
thatās why it affected me
Iām trying to memorize all the words
The ones
I can read that is
I fear the book may crumble
Only prophetic soundbites
will remain
I tried to recopy the text
The ink turned to blood and began
to rot
I fall asleep more and more these days
I awake with words printed
on my face
My breath smells floury
A lot like an old book
Iām hungry
and lonely but I am too tired to leave the attic and perhaps a little
afraid The book might not be fully memorized when I leave and someone
might steal it while Iām gone Besides, someone took the time to write
it--in two inks, even--I should be equally resolute
When I brush my
hair
Dusty letters fall out, thatās neat
I figure that something will
happen if I brush long enough, like words will form
That happens I'm
told
I read it in a book somewhere
I know I should leave the attic The
people need know of the revolution
I mean I believe itās coming I should
at least tell someone
Donāt think I will though Itās gotten quite comfortable
Itās familiar and thatās nothing to scoff at, most people never live
somewhere familiar I donāt think I have the energy anyway, and they
all probably know of the revolution already
They couldnāt miss it because
I only read about it and itās completely clear to me
The dust has been
caking up Iāve been playing a lot of games in it
Theyāre really simple
I think they are a lot of fun though Just dashes and crosses and lines
and circles--that sort of thing--not hard at all to play I spend less
time memorizing It became too tedious...too boring Itās too much for
one man anyway
One woman couldnāt do it either
I like the games better
They get rid of the loneliness And they are familiar
Itās not often when
things are familiar
Most people live their whole lives somewhere and
never feel that things are familiar
[ Path 3 ]