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by C. Jake Cordova
Riding in the bus down a very busy street we were there with all the people when they stopped to let some more get on and everyone turned and looked at the new guy because he was strapped to a wheelchair with super fast wheels and flame logos on both sides.
People say his name is Roger but he never says much because he is handicapped but he is the most friendly person to everyone else even when they echo bad vibes up close and disrespect his right to life when other people are arrogant and rude it's a sad, sad day.
Roger doesn't care because the flames on the sides of his wheelchair make him go fast and look cool to all the girls that see him and say, "Hey, Roger!" but he doesn't say a lot so people around him talk and make comments and remark at the sadness of his situation but he ignores it and sees only the light at the end of the tunnel with brightness and heaven everywhere else.
People come and go in the big city bus and cars race and move fast along with it when the sun goes down Rogers flames glow like fire they rip burn a trail of electricity for the people who get in Rogers way.
People seem to like Roger because he smiles a lot and doesn't say much he listens to everyone else but only believes the good things he hears like brightness and heaven and good things like candy bars and soda pop everything else around him isn't really there especially on the bus when Rogers side flames glow in the dark more people get off than get on but it's still fun.
Roger always has exact change.
A woman who sometimes rides on the same bus with Roger and the rest of us who has a wicked cat named Sidney "Hiss! Hiss!" says the white cat when people try to touch her and the flames on the side of Rogers's wheelchair glow a fiery red but the lady ignores everyone but she ignores Roger most of all the flames glow green against her skin.
Roger believes in green angels with fiery cats who sometimes ride alone and pretend not to see everyone around them but even if they don't say a word Roger knows them well enough to smile from a distance touching only makes things worse.
No change on a bus with exact people where the green lady yells and kicks for others to get out of her way on a busy Tuesday morning with family and friends places to go things to see so many wonderful things to hate in the world to see with prying eyes and sticky fingers 9/11 afterthoughts anthrax genocide proud to be an American God bless the USA but Roger doesn't say much because other people say so many things for him even if it's wrong or right at least it's something to believe in.
"Hiss! Hiss!" cyber sugar 2002 winter Salt Lake City five rings around your eyes when you see down the road towards a city that never dies flames on the sides glowing in the dark and the world turns over to rub it's side and find the pest to blame for murder one lady with a white cat who never talks.
Roger the weak through the valley of suffering above glowing flames.
03-01-2002
"On Top of the World"
A young girl with dark hair was squatted down on the sidewalk looking over a small colony of ants. A young boy squatted next to her, also observing the group.
"Do you think the ants know we're watching them?" She asked.
"I'm not sure. They seem focused on finding food." Herman replied.
The girl watched as a smaller ant carried a piece of bread, almost twice its size, across the cement. Several times, the crumb would fall from its grasp and the ant would have to backtrack its steps to pick it up again. Then it would continue on.
"Herman," the girl said, "Do you think your mother knows we are aware of her watching us?"
Herman looked up at the apartment building behind him to see his mom sitting at the window. She waved to the children and they waved back.
"She just likes to keep track of me." Herman said quietly.
"I know," said the girl, "but do you think she knows we know?"
"I'm sure she does. That's partly why it works. We know we're being watched so we won't do anything to get in trouble."
The girl thought about this and said, "I suppose you're right." She paused for a moment and looked back down at the ants. Some of them were fighting over the same piece of bread.
"What kind of trouble does your mother think we could get into?" The girl asked.
"I dunno. We could run away, or throw rocks, or climb too high up a tree. Who knows?"
The girl laughed. "I guess we could."
Herman watched the ants for a while, then turned his head slowly towards the girl. A sly grin stretched across his face. "Let's do it." He whispered.
"Do what?"
"Everything! Let's run away, throw rocks and climb a tree. Let's see what she does!" He laughed.
"Herman!" the girl replied, smiling. "I never knew you had it in you."
"Well, I do. Are you up for it?"
The girl thought about it. She stared down at the ants. The ant who had stumbled with the piece of bread was finally to his hole. The piece of bread was too big to go down.
"Stand up, Herman." The girl said as she rose to her feet.
"Are we gonna do it?" he whispered excitedly, getting to his feet.
"Yes," she said, and grabbed Herman by the shoulders, "but it's going to be like this." Then she kissed him, soft and sweetly on the lips. Herman wasn't expecting anything like it and for a moment he didn't know what was happening. Then he felt something tingle inside of him and come to life. He was elated.
"Herman!" his mother screamed from above. "Stop that this instant!"
But Herman didn't hear her, for he felt all alone on top of the world.
03-03-2002
"After Work"
Billy and some of the neighborhood kids strutted out into the street on a hot June night. Sunset was on the brink in the city neighborhood and most folks had just finished supper.
My car was secure in the garage and I fumbled in my pants pocket for my house keys.
"Go, Billy! Go!" I heard and I turned in the direction of the kids.
Billy was moving his feet, dancing and smiling while the other kids clapped and made drum beat noises with their mouths. He was good, so good it looked as natural as laughter when his feet caressed the ground.
"Yeah!" Billy shouted as his body caught the vibe of his friends. He used every ounce of his soul in his dance moves, giving each body part a chance to move in rhythm. He was on fire he was so hot!
A few of the other kids came out of their homes and joined the small pack in hand claps and chorus. Soon, everybody was smiling and dancing and having a good ol' time. I even found myself nodding to the beat and tapping my toe on the pavement. It felt good. Hell, it felt great to let go and get crazy. I loved it!
Billy moved out of the spotlight to let others strut their stuff. A girl was now the center of attention. She swayed her arms in the air and thrust her hips with a sensuous, natural ease. Her fingertips fluttered in the air as she moved her hands above her head. I thought I almost saw them sparkle.
She laughed as she danced, her eyes glittering with joy. She must have noticed me in the crowd. I don't know what she saw or why she wanted me, but when her big beautiful smile turned my way and said, "Come on over!" I didn't need a second invitation.
I was there in a heartbeat, letting every dance move inside of me burst its way out. God, it was exhilarating! The girl followed my lead and danced in front of me, picking up my every instinct and harmonizing with my moves.
The cheers and roars from the crowd of people around us were electrifying. I swear I could actually feel their smiles in my heart. Tears of joy mixed with the sweat on my face and from that moment on I realized what it meant to truly be alive.
The next few hours swirled into a musical blur. More dancing, more shouting, more laughter! As the night grew on the crowd dispersed and the stars twinkled in the sky like diamonds. I hugged as many people as I could and wished them all a goodnight. Hard to believe that earlier in the day I was cursing my boss and hating my job. Yeah, a few hours ago life had felt bad and sticky. But now, it was free and empowering.
Strange what a little music and laughter will do to the human spirit after a hard day's work.
Strange indeed, but wonderful at the same time.
03-05-2002
"Hypocrisy"
This isn't going to be a nice story. This is going to be a pessimistic view of life full of negative energy and utter contempt for humankind.
Why? Because that's what the hero of our story is all about. Don't get the wrong idea; he's not a bad person. He has a heart just like everyone else. He laughs and loves, smiles and winks, goes to sleep and wakes up just like you and I, but… his inward thoughts are consumed with sadness for everything around him.
He's put off by all the greed and selfishness in the world today. He sees people thinking only of themselves, corporations interested only in undermining the human spirit to make a quick buck. Fights, wars, murders, criticisms, it's everywhere! They are the very basics of life and there's absolutely no escape from it. And all at the same time there's an ideal in the great mind of society that wants to believe things are good right now! Things are the way they should be because it's how it's always been. What I think is right and if you disagree, you must be part of the problem. What's that? You agree with me? Then, by god, we're all right! But our hero doesn't agree. He only sighs in a good-natured manner and gives a twinkling wink. It's clear as glass he's unhappy.
You might be thinking, "Put on a happy face, hero! The light is brightest at the end of the tunnel. Every cloud has a silver lining. Things can only get better!" But it doesn't matter a bit, for you see our hero has been around for quite some time and he's grown accustomed to accepting things for what they are, even if it makes him feel empty and sinister inside. Sure!
Our hero is human and very much entitled to his own feelings, don't you agree? After all, the worse off he is the better you, the reader, will feel about yourself. You'll want him to get better and smile and have a more optimistic approach to life. You'll say to him, "Damn it, hero! How can you be so sad inside when there's love all around you? How can you only see the blackness of the human spirit when there are good things deep inside of every living thing?"
"Why?" He'll ask you. "I'll tell you why!"
Then he'll turn his head to the side and utter a single, disgusting word. "Hypocrisy."
"Hypocrisy?" you'll ask. "That seems awfully small to be so upset about."
At this, our hero will smile and look at you again with his kind, gentle eyes and say, "It sure does." Then he'll go along his merry way, forever saddened at the present state of modern day society.
03-12-2002
"Lasso the Stars"
"C'mon, boys," Cowboy Betty said. "It's time to lasso the stars!"
"Oh boy!" came the excited shouts from the barn. "Here we go!"
Small boots huffed and skipped along the dusty trail out into the March night. The boys had been waiting for this moment all week. The thought glistened in their minds as they ate breakfast, walked to school, sat in class, and meandered home. Not to mention all the dreams in their heads as they tossed and turned in their beds at night.
Dusty Johns ran with the other boys, holding onto his rope and his hat at the same time. "Lasso the stars… It's finally here!"
The moon hovered full and orange above the quiet prairie. Betty wore her red and black checkered shirt with tan-hide gloves on each hand. Her deep red hat rested snugly above her sweet eyes. She strode out along the grassy hill in wide, bow-legged steps. Her neck shifted slightly and her eyes tilted up towards the sky.
"Ya'all ready for this?" she asked.
"Yeah!" they screamed, and scrambled around her.
Cowboy Betty put out her hand. "Keep quiet," she said. "You'll want to hear the sound they make as they get closer."
The boys immediately shut up. Each one of them followed Cowboy Betty's stare into the upper heavens while doing their best to remain perfectly still.
Dusty Johns thought he was going to explode. He wanted to yell… or cry or… something! He felt like this was the most important moment in his life and he didn't want to waste it being quiet.
"Shhhhh…" Betty put her finger to her mouth. "Be ready."
Dead silence fell all around them. Dusty Johns held his breath. You couldn't even hear a cricket chirp in the distance. A small breeze whisked its way around their shoes followed by a soft grumble in the clouds. Dusty looked at Betty to see if this was it. In the blink of an eye he saw Betty's soft, white skin come ablaze with orange fiery light.
"Yee-haw!" She exclaimed and thrust out her lasso in a quick circling motion. Dusty turned his attention back to the sky and saw a brilliant stampede of orange flecks sizzle through the night sky. The flecks grew in size at an extraordinary rate and raced directly towards the group, roaring like chaos as they came.
"YEE-HAW!" the rest of the boys shouted, and they too swooped out their lassos. Dusty didn't have time to get ready. Instead, he moved closer to Betty and put his arms around her waist just as she tossed her loop over and around an on-coming star. The two were immediately spun off the ground.
Cowboy Betty cheered as she spun through the air, never letting go of her hat. Dusty clung to Betty's belt loops and held the rest of his breath until he couldn't hold it anymore. Then he gave in and inhaled the biggest gust of night air imaginable.
He and Cowboy Betty twirled on in the distance, away from the rest of the boys, beyond the prairie and into the night sky. The star took them far above the earth into another place filled with wonder and excitement!
This truly was the best moment in his life and he wasn't about to keep quiet.
"YEE-HAW!" he shouted!
"YEE-HAW!" echoed Betty, and the two shone on light crazy diamonds in the night.
03-22-2002
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