the house behind the river, part 1 - the director's cut

do

by timmy t jones

previously posted, in different format, in the blog all humans are the same on january 10, 2011

i'm sorry, ms sinclair there's no need to apologize, joey i was just doing what i do i understand it's what i do yes i have no choice of course i do what i do the doingness of the done the thing itself to do the thing that is imperative the imperative itself i told you i understand have you called the police? of course why else would i have handcuffed you? well to keep me from doing what i do no i called the police i had no choice i understand but you understand in turn the imperative doingness of what i do the done thing itself yes i think i hear the police outside now

5 poems

originally posted, in different format, on flashing by on march 19, 2010.

by horace p sternwall

pictures by rhoda

arabia arabia is far away and stretches out in every direction but though you cut it up every which way there's nothing but sand in every section borneo boom-ba-de-boom, ba-de-boom-boom-boom boom-ba-de-boom, ba-de-boom-boom-boom bury my heart in a golden tomb at the end of the earth, if there's any room china i want to go to china before i die to see if everything i was taught was a lie i'll pay some wise old sages a call we'll sit and talk, beside a waterfall winnebago weary waitresses and bored detectives fill the hallways with vile invective hotel down by the railroad tracks dead shoe salesmen never come back teddy i woke up this morning with a feeling of despair and looked around for my teddy bear but someone had slipped through the bars of my cell and carried poor teddy off to hell

carter

it was some kind of seminar. it was dark. all the presidents of the united states were there. on the second day there would be all the popes, and the day after that all the kings and queens of england. security was rigorous. security men in brown suits were everywhere. i found myself at a table with four other people - four faceless schmoes like myself, two men and two women. i realized there were five of us at a table for four and the others all seemed to know each other so i got up and tried to find someplace else to sit. i ended up sitting on the floor bedside the door. people were still pouring in, closely watched by the security men in their brown suits. but they were not frisking anybody or asking any questions. they had not frisked me or asked me any questions. the presidents of the united states were somewhere around, but i didn’t see any of them. finally the presentation began. the lights were not turned on. there was some kind of slide show, but from my seat on the floor beside the door i couldn’t see it. just a little bit of white light glancing off a screen. a voice said something about “carter” and everybody laughed. i didn’t know if they were talking about president jimmy carter or carter who made the little liver pills. ***

something from nowhere - part one: the director's cut

people think just because dad is the greatest scientist in the world that he’s some kind of nut. i assure you, miss, that we have nothing but the greatest respect for professor coppington’s achievements. nevertheless, it is our job to ask a few questions. we hope you understand. i understand only too well, sir. i have dealt with your kind before. i am sorry, miss, but i don’t understand your attitude. the professor’s achievements, and the just renown he has received for them, were made possible by the freedoms he enjoys in our society. the very freedoms he - and you - seem disinclined to defend. that was a fine speech, murdock. the director would be proud. but i think the young lady knows the score. our work here is done. we thank you for your time, miss, and your hospitality, and are sorry we could not reach a better understanding. dad, they are finally gone! i was so frightened! how peaceful the desert looks… what terrible secrets it holds! we have no time to lose. they will return - perhaps in a matter of hours. give this message to mansfield. only to mansfield, do you understand? i may as well vacuum the rug while i am waiting. i wonder if i have time to say goodbye to goldie. professor coppington was known as “mister johnson” to the employees of the wild and free club. goldie’s not here today, mister johnson. she called in sick. a lifetime of running and hiding stretched out before professor coppington . he had to see goldie - the only person in the world who understood him - one more time. the professor knew the feds were closing in on him, but as the long afternoon wore on he found he could not move . where was goldie? the fate of humanity - perhaps of the universe - was in the balance, but still the professor waited… and waited… the professor expected to be blinded by the sunlight when he stepped out of the wild and free club, but night had fallen. there he is, murdock shouted, almost spilling his coffee. i thought he died in there. hearing murdock’s cry, the professor calmly walked past his own car and into the shadows behind the parking lot.

snow pizza

by timothy t jones

a differently formatted version appeared in all humans are the same on october 12, 2008

i hadn't seen my mom in years, or thought about her much, so i was a little surprised when she showed up at the house. she had two new kids, a guy and a girl in their twenties. the guy was a big dufus, the girl ordinary looking with little squinty eyes. i didn't get their names. i had other things on my mind. i had a great new job, delivering pizza. i was going to deliver my first one. it looked kind of pale for a pizza, and was floating around on the plate. i went out the door and down the street, and it started to snow. i decided to go back in the house and cover it up and warm it up - i still had plenty of time. while i was waiting i got into a conversation with someone, aunt somebody or maybe my mom - it was kind of strange, her coming back after all those years. then it was time to go. i went to get the pizza and my dufus new half-siblings had eaten half of it!! oh no! what was i going to do! my first day on the job, my first delivery and i messed it up! i looked around, there was no way to cook another half a pizza on time! i was so embarassed! i really needed this job! it was over before it began! i looked at the phone. it looked back at me.

sinister destinies - july-august 1951