| Joseph Haag
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08-31-2009 06:38 PM ET (US)
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West Colfax by Joseph Haag
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George Eillers walked along the sunset road, brick dust smog mingling with barbecue smoke on the west colfax sidewalk. Two boys called him from across the fence, his mother's kimchi and rice steaming the apartment window, wind drip cello behind the glass. George walked along, back weighed down by his schoolbooks like a wing-clipped dove. Jessica stopped George when he crossed her stoop, flashing her crooked smile teeth, gold templed gentlemen gleaming through barbed wire braces, her hip loose, strawberry blonde locks, freckled cheeks. Her arm was broken, wrist bound with cloth, too much fun, out with the boys, older boys they were. She was raunchy, grungey, exuding sick fumes like an animal, strawberry blonde locks covering freckled cheeks. "Do you want to know a secret?" "What?" "Come closer" George ducked his head, sailing through the brick dust smog, swooping like a hawk. "What?" "Come closer." George anticipated her slime drip tongue, her cold barbed wire braces, her honey drip saliva She pulled his ear Laughter George backed away, ready to leave. "Fine! I'm bored anyway." George walked along the sunset road, brick dust smog mingling with barbecue smoke on the West Colfax sidewalk, the impaled organ flesh sizzling on the flame, decapitated by 32 gold tempeled smiling gentlemen, the boy next door. When George arrived home, his mother's kimchi and rice steam frothed the apartment window. She stirred the pot, the bowl, the pan. George nibbled in silence. When morning dawned and let her long blonde eyes open through the terraced, pendulating slits of George's window, he arose and brushed. He walked along the road, passed Jessica's stoop. Exchange of words, she planted her sticker seed kiss deep on his lips, pierced that fecundated ground, pollinated the tissue. Jessica kissed him George wandered through the brick dust smog, heart racing. The girl next door, Kristie, eyed him. Tear strewn voice, cries, jumped out of the passanger seat. Warnings, Jessica's dangerous, she'll break your heart, she'll hurt you, I told her today, I said, If you heart George I'll kill you, she always does this, she always plays it sweet and when she gets the guy to fall, she breaks his heart. I told her, if you hurt George, I'll kill you tears she cried George didn't listen. He smiled a little smile, hugged Kristie. Oh yes, I'll stay away from her George didn't care. When he arrived home, his mother's kimchi and rice steam smogged the apartment, she stirred the pot. The telephone called out. George answered. Jessica spoke, strawberry blonde curls over her freckled cheeks. "George, I have something to confess." "I'm listening" "Well, I know that we're going together. But see, the same day we started, my friend Roger asked me out. And just to be nice, I promise you that's why, I said yes. So technically I am cheating on you" George didn't care. "But I really do want to be with you... I'll call him tonight and tell him it's over" George hung up. Her honey drip saliva tongue, animal in the barbed wire brace cage, called to him over the brick dust smog, the disortotions over the cityscape. George lay down, fell asleep. When morning came, George woke again. He walked along the road, Kristie cried. Let me guess, she'd love to be with you, but first she needs to break it off with another man. You think he's the only one? I told her, if you hurt George I'll kill you George walked along the sunset road, hurried to the bus stop, hopped 16.
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