Black Backpack

This guy walked into the office today. He's on disabilty. He is always walking by here. Sometimes he stops by and talks. Talks for a few minutes and leaves. Sometimes asks for money. A buck or sometimes just a quarter. He walks everywhere. Use to have a car. An 83 maroon Bonneville. Somebody gave it to him. But he had to sell it. Said he he got $100 for it. I don't think so. Anyway he walks in here and asks me if I ever buy artwork. I said sometimes. Almost never. I am broke. He said have you ever heard of a heechee. I said no. He unzipped his black backpack. Took a red nylon jacket out and laid it on a chair. Then he pulled the heechee out. There was some braided leather, beads, feather and an eagle claw. The leather braids were in a kind of double loop that intertwined. He said that during some kind of ceremony that he goes to across the river on the Rez the loops become seperated without anyone doing anything. Kind of a spiritual thing he said. He said it was a good thing. But it could be used in a bad way. But if you did it you would pay in the end. If you know what I mean. I said you can't sell that. It must mean something to you. He said it was only a material thing. I said yes that is right. Only a thing. He said he had to have $40 for the heechee. I said I was broke. He said well can you give me 50 cents. I gave it to him. He put the heechee and the red nylon jacket back in the black backpack. He said he had to go. He did not want to be late for the lunch at the mission. He said if he was late the other guys would eat all of the apple pie.

Maggots Feasting

So we are here.
In this place of excess and greed.
In this time of hope and fear.

I speak of apples.
The core has been rotting.
The maggots have been feasting.
And now the skin is cracking.
Puss is oozing out.
Soon this apple will be dried out.
What will happen to the seeds?

Capital. Labor. Production. Solidarity. Empty. Justice. Essential. Means. Empires. Markets. Lost.

Words like seeds.
Seeds like words.

And the maggots have been feasting.

Accumulation of wealth through the use of capital, credit, technology and modern management...I sing of thee...

And the maggots have been feasting.

The trickle down the rich man's leg and the poor can lick my shiny black boots theory of wealth accumulation...I sing of thee...

And the maggots have been feasting.

Neoconman's endless wars to make the world safe for market expansion and "free" trade...I sing of thee...

And the maggots have been feasting.

I speak of capital.
Bloated and stretched.
Bubbles bursting.
Smell of old farts lingering.
Blaming consumers for not consuming.
Markets shrinking now.
Rich eating the rich.

So we are here.
In this place of excess and greed.
In this time of hope and fear.