Friday 29 October 2010

Bloodletting Fees, A Poem by Adam Dustus

 Happy Halloween! Trick or Treat?


Bloodletting Fees by Adam Dustus

Vomit smells dominate
Amid holding cell fermenting wait
After intensive fuzzy interrogation

Zombie hostage
Mid-life crisis situation

Being escorted to precinct station

A detaining cauldron

Squirming bacteria

Seething sticky cement
Sardines sit benched
Stench sweat

Scrambled yellow blocks mental

Self becomes mere guess
Seeking tricks?

Nobody could know
Not expecting his wife

Soon told him so
Disbelieving

This Halloween

Bloody horror
Silly string


 
 Subconscious mistake, regret

An additional mortgage dis—
Pence
Over the counter 

To in jest

Rigamortis

Starting over
Numerous bad choices
Wasted welter of cruel nagging voices

Sign glares at eve

Sunken so low
Swimming arms sway
Within long flannel sleeves

Russet plaid pajama-clad
Half-life scene for so long, too bads
Sleepwalker wandering
Mumbling sad


Through sordid shadows
Skidding down row

Neurochemical mystery flows
Proving illusive for restive intentions

While still denying abusive
 dimension

Downed

Ambien

Set 
in 

Mind—moved

Matter

Programmed

Steps

Right


Left
Undead
Down town home stairs
Out front door fled
Led by gutted shadows
Twitching flounder
Beneath sinking sail

Squinting moist cataract veils
Shimmering city light
Impactions byte
Nothing registers 

Skin itching, sour milk smelling, market rot

Pulsating neon beer signs, marquees, double parked lot
Inside boils oblivion steam

Blood flow still being one
Warmth through knock out routine
Lying fetal, cheek to porous curb
Eyeballing shoed casino herd
Shapes pass emitting coronas
Under lamppost an eternity
Listening to the earth's beat
Trembling underground



Buzzing throng, blurry people
Clacking along sidewalk

See through sequin chemise
Each painted face
Sheets, capes, tails, hidden life
Costume heroes
Clashing toxins

Boasting revelers drunk

Living sleep
Fortunate waking up

Perhaps it karma
Or dumb luck
Someone tossed
A quarter at him
The well wished
Taking pity
Near the forest green
Bulk dumpster
Stray meowing
Hungry kitties chewing onion rings
Tongue garbage lapping
Before assault happening

He was mistaken for a deaf beggar
By two different versions of GaGa
Adjusting broken chandelier hats

Spilling candy out plastic pumpkin heads
Chugging Pixie Sticks
Joking they would never pick up death
Still helping him out anyway
Yet alone he's left
Unaware blood drips
Into a shark stalking tank

Violent brood of collective vampires

Aiming for wallet and wrist watch

Thwarted, foot stomps forced open his hand
That had instinctively held clutched to his wedding band
Assailing barrage, strikes and insults
Battering life, smashing somnambulist mien
Laughing, a farewell kick to the nuts
Field goal thud, imaginary crowd roar
DB blocks

Count Dracula's punt
Thieves off with the ring

Man screams again
He can't understand
Almost breaking through his coma
Time's broken hour-hand
Froze forever held
No awakening instant
Except when heart melts
What's lifted

Disorderly conduct disturbing peace
Chin trickles red from broken front teeth

Resisting arrest, billy club beaten,
Struck over the head
Seal like squealing
Ear drums pounding 

Arms behind cuffed, siren sounding
Cursing 3 glasses of vinegary wine
That smooth cap-sized pill for sleep
Future ending in divorce
Bloodletting fees
Feeling tricked
Through poison means



*********
Cheers, Adam

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Phew!(In a good way:>)

moondustwriter said...

Goodness - we are ramping up aren't we

Thanks for kicking of the weekend Dustus
howls at the moon

Marshy said...

a great start to this weekend of spine chilling horror!!!!!! great poem dustus

Fireblossom said...

Wow, Adam, what a nightmare tour! Just say no to sleep aids, right?

There are SO many starkly beautiful phrases here, I can't even list them. I feel breathless after reading this, as if I had been out all night among the "casino herd" myself.

This is so unique, like a carny ride through a fever dream. I love it, dark little thing that I am, lol.

I have not been able to visit Wordpress blogs for a couple pof weeks now, so I am delighted you posted here, so I could read and comment!

Brian Miller said...

i have seen the poison take too many, turning them into things that scare far further than halloween...smiles.

Wysteria said...

Great Poem and fun and scary reading.... Now, I am really looking forward to this weekend. Got my lighter ready to light up the pumpkin!

Thanks for sharing

Wysteria

Hope said...

wow! Would love to hear you say this amazing piece!

the imagery is so fantastic it walked me through a place i'm not comfortable with so...thank you!

I think... :)

Myrna R. said...

Wow. This poem left me...feeling uncomfortable. It depicts a life so raw, sad and scary but real.

I guess reality can be more frightening than fantasy.

I do love the way you weave your words and thougts.

unremarkable_m said...

Cold cull...

:) cheers.

Gabriela Abalo said...

really looking forward to this weekend - my son has already started ;)

Great, spine chilling poem!!
awesome

Cheers and happy Halloween!

Lynda from Echostains and Bookstains said...

Wow that was some poem Adam!
There are some very visual and tactile imagery in this - also you managed to invoke taste and smells too! All the senses meet in this poem:)
"Buzzing throng, blurry people
Clacking along sidewalk

See through sequin chemise
Each painted face
Sheets, capes, tails, hidden life
Costume heroes
Clashing toxins
..."

This bit reminds me of James Ensor paintings! Very well done - you really went to town for Halloween!

slpmartin said...

Ah...as Leslie says...a good start to the Halloween events to follow.

Sheila said...

scary stuff - I don't think I can go out of the house this weekend after reading that! Good job, Dustus.

Anonymous said...

scary...bring on Halloween;)

Claudia said...

OMG Adam - i'm breathless after reading this...this was quite a trip with lots of great imagery...
my absolutely top loved words were: Neurochemical mystery - how cool is that..! think i have to use this words very unexpected, for example i will smile at my husband and say sth like..now this kiss feels like a neurochemical mystery on my lips..smiles..great job!
happy halloween!

Arts Web Show said...

i'm not used to seeing such long poems from you.
You do them well, that's for sure

Beachanny said...

What a cityscape you paint. Revlers like those in Poe's Masque unfeeling but this piteous one painted so deftly that society and the era treats so badly. Yes, put me in mind of true meaning of Grimm and Halloween too probably which is to let the young know the perils of wrong choices, and how the boogyman lives in each of us and that boogyman needs our being heedful that it happens to the other guy too. This is a hard read but I explicated it entirely. It's beautiful too in its real life terror. Well done you, I say.
Happy Halloween Adam

dustus said...

Appreciate all the comments & hope everyone is having an excellent Halloween. I've already eaten way too much candy. lol Something tells me everyone in this thread is going to have a good time :)

@Fireblossom thanks for letting me know about the WP issue. I had no idea that's been happening :) rock on, Shay