Gentleman, an adventurer

for Stephen Harrison

bodily fluids are absinthe
drinks his own hallucinogen
toward a cartoon destination
running through his veins
endless lines diagrammatise
what page of this penny dreadful
world could be left to trample
by way of print or peer in
a squiggly windrow

draws up a final draft
of The Joker
decides to fight crime
in the guise of some animal
another of Gotham City's orphans.
he'd share his last pint with you -
wait for his signal
on the clouds a beacon
will ascend

from Prague to Paris

remember him as myth
cult by association

The Gift

if i send G. Bishop of Altona Meadows,
who is #1 on the list,
a $10 bill, wrapped
tightly inside a brief
handwritten note, containing my
name, address and the
short statement:
' please accept this $10 gift '.
then if i move the other names
and addresses on the list,
up one position,
#2 D. Corroll of Nth Freemantle
is now #1. #3 S. Ryan of Dubbo
is now #2. #4 G. Baker of Palmerston
is now #3. #5 S. Phommaseisy of Florey
is now #4, then enter my name and
address on the newly vacated #5 on the list.
if i make 200 ( minimum ) photocopies of this new
list, and pick 200 names and addresses from a
telephone directory of my choice. remembering that
the list says to NOT order a mailing list, this will not guarantee
a good response. i MUST obtain my own names and addresses for a good list will always yield a good response. if i fold my photocopied lists IN HALF and place them in C5 envelopes, seal them up and stamp them all. IMPORTANT NOT to fold the lists more than once or use smaller envelopes. if i copy my 200 ( minimum ) names and addresses from the telephone directory onto the sealed envelopes and drop them off at the post office. i must complete these simple steps as FAST as possible. speed is EVERYTHING. if i complete these simple steps within 60 days, something very eerie will happen. the indescribable, overwhelming sense of certainty. belief, and conviction in the system. because i have done it there must be a great any people ready to do exactly the same. & behold. i will see for myself that the gift business actually works.

Copyright © 2005 John Bryan