Friday, December 25, 2015

dynamite by moonlight, part 2






he took his time lighting his cigarette
and handled her with kid gloves
where are the clothes i was wearing last night?

he eyed her through the drifting smoke rings
they are in the coffin with maxie
he replied with perfect self-assurance

what you might call impeccable sangfroid
he’d been planning it for a long tome
because he wouldn’t beat up a woman, would he?

he looked around for the bottle
she had that mean look on her face again
he’d been planning to get rid of her for a long time

just because he wouldn’t actually beat up a woman
with sober and passionless precision
i thought the coffin was a pretty good idea

it didn’t mean he wouldn’t bump her off
strictly dynamite as she might be

“we’ve known each other for a long time.”

but i’m not the same guy i used to be
even though i am not yet in my coffin

“you are not fooling anybody with that line of grapefruit.”

where did you put that bottle?
when did you start caring so much about bottles?
those look like the same clothes you were wearing last night to me

you know i wear a new suit every day
even though the liquor bills are sending me to the poorhouse
and everybody and his uncle owe me money

sources: don’t get in my way, by frances clippinger; the murderer is a fox, by ellery queen; dread journey, by dorothy b hughes; the curse of the bronze lamp, by carter dickson; the double take, by roy huggins; too late for tears, by roy huggins; violent night, by ralph jackson; run from the hunter, by keith grantland; to find cora, by harry whittington; framed in guilt, by day keene; my flesh is sweet, by day keene; the devil thumbs a ride, by robert c du see


dynamite by moonlight, part 1






you wouldn’t beat up a woman, would you
where’s the bottle?
she was strictly dynamite

things are pretty rough right now
so don’t hold anything against me
a warm haze of smoke enveloped the room

we had to build a special coffin
he’d been planning it for a long time
he lounged there with apparent calm

yes, things are pretty rough right now
where’s the bottle?
she asked with sober and passionless precision

you have already mentioned that things are rough
with sober and passionless precision
his liquor bills ate up a third of his salary

i can’t stand to think about you, either
yes, you heard me right
his liquor bills ate up a third of his salary

she looked him over with sober and passionless precision
she had had plans for him for a long time
a warm haze of smoke enveloped the room

i’m not the same guy you married
i can’t stand to think about you, either
and you are not the same dame

where are the clothes you were wearing last night
a warm haze of smoke enveloped the detective’s face
because she was strictly dynamite


sources: don’t get in my way, by frances clippinger; the murderer is a fox, by ellery queen; dread journey, by dorothy b hughes; the curse of the bronze lamp, by carter dickson; the double take, by roy huggins; too late for tears, by roy huggins; violent night, by ralph jackson; run from the hunter, by keith grantland; to find cora, by harry whittington; body and passion, by harry whittington; framed in guilt, by day keene; my flesh is sweet, by day keene; the devil thumbs a ride, by robert c du soe



Sunday, December 13, 2015

misunderstood


illustrations by palomine studios




i don’t get out very much
a little light burning blue and coming toward us
thinks like a man, feels like a woman, and acts like a child

in the clear, sweet atmosphere of the openings
their faces had grown pale and their eyes bright
the northern passes of the bohemian frontier were secured

with large eyes and long, dark, curly hair

“do not misunderstand us”

some of the dances are extremely graceful

but their faces had grown pale and their eyes bright
in the clear, sweet atmosphere of the garden
they ravaged the seas at their pleasure

thinking like men, feeling like women, and acting like children
they taught green parrots to whistle
with bright eyes and pale, pale faces

with large eyes and long, dark, curly hair
they ravaged the seas sat their pleasure
as lights played on the restless surface of the waters

the queen’s chamber was panelled with irish oak
light played on the restless surface of the curtains
i don’t get hurt very much

although i drink as much brandy as i choose
and as much whiskey and port also
in the dank atmosphere of the public gardens

thinking like a conqueror, feeling like an an animal, acting like a robot
the play of lights caught the restless surface of the rain on the sidewalk
with bright eyes and long, dark, curly hair

sources: buddy jim, by elizabeth gordon; the campaign of koniggratz, by arthur l wagner; three wisconsin cushings, by theron wilber haight; captain william kidd and others of the buccaneers, by john s c abbott; a beginner’s history, by william h mace; the life of general garibaldi, by giuseppe garibaldi; royal winchester, by a g l’estrange; the man of genius, by cesare lombardo; the first christmas tree, by henry van dyke; the truth about the congo, by frederick starr; the dark other, by stanley g weinbaum; a tramp’s scraps, by h i m self; silver cross, by mary johnston

these books were "recent additions" to project gutenberg on november 27, 2015