Daily Archives: January 13, 2013

January 13, 2013

Fairy Story

By Tony Brown

once upon a time

there lived a great brooding rock of a man
who cracked when he rolled down a slope
to reach the valley of water below his desert origin 

there lived a horseboy named skull
who drank and leaked through his open bones
all the way round his course

there lived a sheepgirl on fire
grateful to be warm
even as she bubbled and screamed 

we felt better about ourselves
because they were self-sacrificial
or something mythical like that

we asked them carefully
if they understood the words
happily ever after

that’s the wrong language for me
each of them said in turn
they all lived a bit more then hollered and died

we use stories about them
to be happy
now and then and ever after

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January 13, 2013

Atmosphere

By Tony Brown

a descending series of chords
a chorus shouting “hoo”
a man speaking in rhythm
rhyming a bit
a touch of sing song

a target
hit repeatedly

it’s working
early in the morning
for me as a listener

this atmosphere where

all your secrets stay safe
all your liars will lay
all your stories are stains
on that mattress

I’m crying
in bed

how much do I like that guitar
I ask myself
I like it fine

how much do I want it to be
guitar and rhyme and not meaning
that’s getting to me

I like distance

I like a target
hit repeatedly
from a distance

this is working
I declare it
a good song
a target struck again and again

I swear I’m not listening to the words

— italicized lyrics from “Mattress,” by Atmosphere; from the album “Sad Clown, Bad Summer”
(listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRcLFA0wW80)

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