15,628. I DON'T FIGHT FOR ANYTHING

I DON'T FIGHT FOR ANYTHING

My father used to say 'You handle a

mackerel by the tip of its nose.' I was

nine years old at the time, and I never

knew what he meant. Nose?

-

Now, so much later, I still don't know

anything much worth repeating. Nor

do I fight for anything  -  you all can

have whatever it is you want. Anyone

is entitled to make their own mistakes.

-

I removed my name and number from

the card catalogue long ago. And then

they removed the card catalogues too,

so it all came out the same. My old 

friend Aleck died on the sidewalk in 

Santa Monica or some God-forsaken

place like that. Doc said he was dead

before he hit the ground. That must

have been something, and how's

that go anyway?

-

Too much silence can get on your nerves,

and it works the other way around too.

So what's the difference to that? Surely,

again, nothing I'd ever fight over.