| Rounding the corner, I tripped on my shoe lace. As I | | | | comment."So how long you been State side, you |
| bent down on one knee I looked straight out as my | | | | know in country?"" Only three months out of County |
| hands grabbed my laces and began their dance. A | | | | Roscommon before my departure back across the |
| blinding flash, as the sun made a quick turn off a | | | | sea. You believe after fighting those damn Gufies and |
| marble surface in the distance. Which happened to | | | | puddens, I had to share trenches in the desert with |
| make my hands slip upon something they knew as | | | | them. From throwing grenades at them from ditches |
| well as my lungs know to breathe. I looked down to | | | | on the side of the road to sharing a canteen. Tis a |
| concentrate on what I was doing and finished the | | | | strange world Jesus, Mary, and Joseph."I was a bit |
| knot, double tied.Damn size fourteen shoe laces. | | | | lost to what a guffie or pudden was but I nodded |
| After size 12, they make one size only that you can | | | | any way since he seemed quite agitated."By the |
| hang a full size man with. Sometimes I think they are | | | | way, the name is O'Niel, Seamus O.Niel. I hate going |
| artifacts of the appropriate length to hang myself | | | | around anonymous with those who comes to these |
| after a full night on a bender of Martinis and M+M's. | | | | parts and commune with me. But being a dime a |
| Granted a strange, mixture, but indeed this morning | | | | dozen, you know Joe smith like. But being Jon Doe is |
| was one of those days I was second guessing it. I | | | | something I never could stomach." he finished with a |
| first encountered the pair on a train returning from | | | | slug from a silver halmarked flask.Well hair of the dog |
| Montreal. An older man had got me a Martini, being | | | | and all, I took my obligatory swig from him and felt |
| only twelve at the time I asked for a bag of M+M's | | | | like I should use that empty grave for the Vietnam |
| to go along. Over the airs of a Piano player, in those | | | | unknown. Damn DNA testing gave that one a name |
| days was quite common, doing his best renditions of | | | | and moved him out. Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph |
| Billy Joel and other Magic 101 numbers. Unfortunately | | | | Blassie. That war still being a disgrace to most, they |
| the man imparted some ill timed information about | | | | never thought of placing maybe one of those M.I.A. |
| the where abouts of the ladies of the evening who | | | | in it they keep occasionally digging up in some |
| paint the old town scarlet. Been back since on my | | | | farmer's rice patty.They never dared give us gulf |
| various travels, but have not looked up his veracity | | | | vets one, the ghosts of this monument would reject |
| as of yet. Which brings me to this morning.Being a | | | | him for not being killed by an enemy. But then again |
| reporter for The Times, keeps me out of my own | | | | it is all friendly fire starting from birth in impoverished |
| bed allot. I tend to feel bad kicking all those | | | | towns. Failing schools always breed a great feeding |
| cockroaches out of their's, but I figure I am at least | | | | pool for those starched uniforms circling in . Ignorance |
| a paying client. So the M + M+M's mixture is a habit | | | | and desperation is always the way to sow the fields |
| of travelocity. I checked into it with Blue Shield and | | | | to feed the cannons. From the earth, back to the |
| Blue Cross, but there is no coverage for it. So this | | | | earth."It was a shame about that one, I was just |
| brings us back to the shoe lace I am tripping on for | | | | getting to know that shagger before they took him |
| the second time. I am just not up to snuff this | | | | away."I thought it strange he had such animosity for |
| morning as my trick knee does its act. So I pop one | | | | the Brits being from a southern county. Maybe |
| of my Percs and head mindlessly to that glare.As I | | | | hatred could still linger in Atrium, but gernading some |
| walked past those countless interments of scores of | | | | modern Black and tans in the south? It was not |
| boys who never had a chance coming from the | | | | sitting straight. Then that uniform, heavy brown wool. |
| backwoods of some forgotten town with those | | | | In the summer. Yes he had it open bearing his dirty T |
| hilarious signs, population 5. The mill always closes | | | | with a hole in the belly. As I looked again, I saw the |
| appropriately right before a war.As I rounded up the | | | | jacket line up just right to see a hole line up with that |
| grass toward the bright white marble, those three | | | | one. Then the fag, Pall malls not Marlboro or GNC. |
| ladies; victory, Peace, and Valor winked at me. | | | | The trench lighter"Yes, even more dangerous than |
| Victory flashed her leg, Valor stuck her breasts out, | | | | three on a match. Damn blow torch will give you |
| and Peace seemed to be brushed aside by Victory | | | | away each time.""What...""Yes, Jesus Mary and |
| as she did her best Claudette Colbear. I read the four | | | | Joseph you are one of the slowest. I am to be |
| marble slabs that rested flat into the plaza before | | | | unknown no more. I told you I am to be no Jon Doe. |
| those ladies. From east to west was The Unknown | | | | Cursed alive it was bad enough to be Seamus O'Neil, |
| of WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. As I got half | | | | bloody bullocks on those arhses if they think three |
| way through the inscription of the slab on the | | | | months in country before shipped out I was going to |
| Unknown from Vietnam, I was disturbed by some | | | | be Jon doed and all."So I turned quickly around |
| punk humming some insidious tune with lewd | | | | expecting the other two to be standing behind |
| overtures. I looked up and saw what was very | | | | me."Nah by this time of day they buggering the |
| popular in the Urban outfitters. He was wearing | | | | senators of the wartime appropriations board, plastic |
| something purchased fom the local Army Navy store. | | | | trucks to stop bullets, by noon they should be |
| But something was off about him, but I could not | | | | Harassing that Defense security. A real good Dickens |
| place it. Just the average military uniform worn | | | | they do on them, real top draw act.""Silainte!' he took |
| without the spit and shine. My time in the Gulf got | | | | one last slug before he disappeared."By the way I |
| me five in the jaw for wearing my zoot that | | | | would quit sucking on those fags, they will kill you |
| way."Do you mind! Lets have a moment of | | | | every time."My cigarette dropped from my lip with a |
| silence.""For the departed unknowns?"No for my | | | | full inch of an ash landing on my London fog. I know |
| splitting head, I responded as he only laughed."So | | | | who am I to talk, summer time and all. But my blood |
| what are you doing here with the stiffs?" the kid said | | | | never seems to warm up from the M+M+M's until I |
| over his nose."Oh I just figure if I show up in enough | | | | get a prairie Oyster into me.Christopher Jon Luke |
| cemeteries I might find all of those brain cells I have | | | | Dowgin is propietor of Docspond Life Coach Services |
| killed in the past. I found this witch doctor in Harlem, | | | | providing Individual Counseling, Group facilitation, and |
| oh never mind, it is just a quest in vain." The kid | | | | key note addresses that speak to the heart of the |
| approached me and offered me a fag, as he shook a | | | | mission while delivering the bottom line finacial growth. |
| pack of Pall Malls to have a couple of cigarettes | | | | Helping millions find their bliss and return meaning to |
| jockey for top position. I took the winner and turned | | | | success! Guaranteed 20% improvement in your |
| down his light for my own.Besides the Trench lighter, | | | | quality of life aftre the first meeting!Also is the |
| the fag comment brought to light the confusion I | | | | propietor and designer at Norgeforge Illumination |
| was facing all morning. I had reported many Gay | | | | Studios that will SEO illuminated design giving |
| pride parades in New York, even ask Bloomberg if he | | | | Aesthetics to traffic driven sales. So get out of the |
| would be gay for the day as he earlier proclaimed he | | | | cold and get Norgeforged! |
| was going to be Irish or Italian for the day. No | | | | |