svengali

he came

across the water

empty handed

elegant as a reptile

showed me the ladder

this is this is it

showed me the LPs

said they could be mine

he said: I’m dark flattoned deadpan

I’m simple

a bauhaus coffee table

an empty fable

but you you resonate

like a coathanger in a dead hall

a butterfly pinned to a plastic wall

wow.

what a compliment.

one day he sent me

for a pack of cigarettes

across the seven seas

promised me a rosewood chapman stick

and angel figurines

his eyes the sizzling iceberg

and I said fine OK.

I went to the shop

a snake was standing there

said won’t let you in unless you

get me a pair of socks

so I went for the socks

a goose was standing there

said won’t give you the socks

unless you get me a tuning fork

I went for the tuning fork

a bear was standing there

said won’t give you the tuning fork

unless you get me a fur jacket

I went for the jacket

a bee was standing there

said won’t give you the jacket

unless you get me a compass

I went for the compass

a pig was standing there

said won’t give you the compass

unless you get me a necklace                                             

I went for the necklace

a fly was standing there

said won’t get you the necklace

unless you get me a math book

so I got myself the math book

got myself the necklace

got myself the compass

got myself the fur jacket

got myself the tuning fork

got myself the socks

got myself the cigarettes

and when I came back

he’d already taken my face

placed it onto his face

and started to run run baby run

but the glue

didn’t hold

ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-hold!