Wild World, Cat Stevens

Skinny Love, Bon Iver

Landslide, Stevie Nicks

Down So Long, Jewel

Bad Moon Rising, CCR

Act Naturally, Johnny Russell

Sixth Avenue Heartache, The Wallflowers

http://youtu.be/v7Vu1IcEX4Y

I was looking over Norm's
Zippo and silver coin collection
discussing the ins and outs
of renters insurance

when I spotted a bug
crawl out
from under his hat
and scurry across the bill

a vision of bedbugs blinded me
as I drew on the memories
of his past relationships
with those foul things

"A bug just crawled off your head,
onto your hat" I warned him
he pulled off his hat and turned it about
muttering a scratchy "where is it?"

I pointed the bug out to him
and he squished it

his and its shared blood indistinguishable
in union on his palm
His forehead was wounded
from where the creature had fed

"what was that?" I implored
determinedly moving away from him
searching the floor
for the corpse or escape effort
the offending creature

"It was a tick"

I encouraged him to keep an eye out
for symptoms of illness or a fever

he informed me "I was in the woods this morning"
and assured me "I know everything about the woods"

I nodded in agreement
as I do with all the people I want to avoid
or from who I want to get away

shoving his treasure into his pockets
he chuckled "I need a cigarette"

which was my cue to run away

norm's bug hat

From the album, Encore, recorded by The All City Jazz Band in Davenport, Iowa, 2003

Encore

I Can't Get Started

Track 1 from Marzipan

4-Track Cassette from 2003.

Marzipan

Wake Me When I'm Naked

Track 5 from Marzipan

4-Track Cassette from 2003.

This Is What It Looks Like

Synthesizer Accompanied Outer Space Sauce and Hallucinogenic Enhancement

norm's bug hat

goo