Thursday, February 09, 2006

When I was a Leper, starring Gandhi.

so this is going to be quickly done with no editing while it's still fresh in my head. The ideas come from a conversation I just had with my friend Katie about band names so she should get a co-authorship.

I walked into the bar.
Late night. Slow night.
The air was thick. Like potatoes peeling.
Concord Grape.
Across the room a young couple was fighting.
I moved through the vertical restroom smell,
towards the pool tables, the games.
There he was, all six inches wide.
Gandhi, playing pinball.
and cussing up a storm too.
I walked over to him,
his eyes darted up from behind thick glasses.
Quickly they returned to the game
and he mumbled something in Indian at me.
I turned to the table and watched his prowess at multi-ball.
This man was no novice.
When he lost ball 3 he looked at me with an old pained expression.
"Can I borrow a quarter?"
I stumbled through my pockets, finally grasping the
shiny object between my fingers.
He took it like a rabid dog, began playing again.
The tap came from behind my shoulder,
and I fell back when I noticed David Blaine standing behind me.
"Excuse me" he said as he walked over and put his arm around the holy one.
He reached up, or did he levitate?
placing a kiss on the old man's bald head.
"wow" i whispered and they both looked at me with loving frightful eyes.
The game ended and they walked out together.
Gandhi looked back at me and yelled
"I was a Leper."
No one in the bar seemed to hear.
I stood there, beer in my hand staring at a vast sea of indifference.
The leper and the magician.

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