558. APEX BROTHER

APEX BROTHER
'Everywhere I go there's nothing but conflict
and pain. Everything's composed of aspects I
can't deal with nor understand. The cat and the
canary, they both know what I mean.'
-
He squatted down while he talked,
lighting a small fire in Central Park;
next to a moonbeam rock, clustered behind
a stand of old trees. 'This small fire's just
to burn all the things I've ever written - and I
aim to too.' He pulled piles of papers from out
a valise, a satchel he'd carried in. Banded and
wrapped, he said what they were : 'these are all I've ever
done, my works; a novel short stories, essays and poems.
All these wonderful ideas. I just can't live with them anymore
and I made a vow to myself. They're all being burned.'
-
The little fire fired up - an unsightly reddish flame
and a glow of which I'd never seen, nor wish to
see again. Black spirit and white sprite, both
it seemed rode up in tongues of flame and
flared away. He was crying by now, all
a horrible sight.
-
'Everywhere I've gone, it's all been a
terrible flight. Nothing but conflict
and anger and fury and pain.
Everything's made of stuff
I don't get. The cat AND
the canary, they both
know what I mean.'