Robert Masterson - The Last Words of Johnny “The Cannibal” Tarlington

The Last Words of Johnny “The Cannibal” Tarlington

Transcribed in an accurate fashion under the most difficult of circumstances…

By Robert Masterson

…while the Wrestler himself, delirious, sometimes falling into unconsciousness from which he could not be roused, or wildly thrashing and screaming gibberish, trying to break free from those in the dressing room called upon to help restrain the dying Cannibal…trainers, towel boys, photo-bugs, locker room freaks…and at times attempting to do them harm, mistaking them for the visions with which he was tortured…

Is this the shiny part? Is it? Is it shiny? Oh. I love the shiny part…yeah…yeah…uh huh…uh huh…nu uh…Higher! Climb higher! Are you afraid of heights or something? Get up there. Get all the way up there…I saw them first, I got them first ha ha ha ha…Fucking Olympics and fuck the fucker fucking Olympics and Greco-Roman shit fuckers, too…I never took it, Mom. I swear to you, and I know you’ll never believe me, but I didn’t take it. I wouldn’t take it. Not ever, Mom, not ever…Two dogs is good, one dog is bad. Two dogs will play. One dog goes crazy. Three dogs, three dogs, three dogs…Okay, this one is for all the marbles, folks, this one is for the belt, the $1 trillion billion million dollar purse, and super-hot sexy girl valet Fawn!...Which one of these crazed maniacs will take home the glory and gold? Which one of these psycho-killers will become the King of the Ring?...SUNDAY…PAY-PER-VIEW…SUNDAY…PAY-PER-VIEW…$1 zillion stillion fillion skillion means $1 zero, zero, zero, nothing…it means it means no thing…It means you fight, little man. You fight. You want to eat? You fight...Oh, the shiny part…Times ten, I could. You and nine little fuckers that look just like you. I’ll knock each one of you out ten times, you little fucker… Like a million candles, all those flashbulbs on all those little cameras in all those little seats…MY house! MY car! MY woman!...By the lake at night, the sky twice. In the sky. Yeah. In the water. Yeah. Twice. Sky. Water. Sky. Water…There was a wonder, a wonderful, a wonder wonder wonder…And I will DRAG you out into the motherfucking street and I will KILL you and I will FUCK YOUR DEAD BODY IN THE MOTHERFUCKING STREET YOU MISERABLE MOTHERFUCKER…Sign it. Sign it. Sign it. Sign. It...Olympic Gold! The Impossible Kid with the impossible dream and you can see the tears in his eyes as the band plays the United States national anthem…What a story! What an athlete! What a kid!...Olympic Gold!...Gold!...Go!...Guh!...Pay-per-view, man, pay-per-view…Pay. Every time. Pay. Every time. Pay…Fucking don’t know who I am? Fucking don’t know who I am? I am the fucking Cannibal, man, the real fucking Cannibal, and I will fucking eat you. Ha. Ha. Only kidding…Uh huh. Uh huh. Nu uh. Nu uh.

Bruce McRae - Four Poems

Bruce McRae, a Canadian musician currently residing on Salt Spring Island BC, is a multiple Pushcart nominee with over 1,400 poems published internationally in magazines such as Poetry, Rattle and the North American Review. His books are ‘The So-Called Sonnets (Silenced Press), ‘An Unbecoming Fit Of Frenzy’ (Cawing Crow Press) and ‘Like As If” (Pski’s Porch), Hearsay (The Poet’s Haven).

***

1. Long Distance Love

Stars like question marks

after earnest enquiry.

Stars like asterisks

signifying lack.

Campfires of the Gauls.

The undead’s lanterns.

Goodbye Sol and Ganymede.

Goodbye Luna, the stars

winking provocatively.

Stars like kisses.

The Xs a lost love

sent to me at the end

of her last long letter.

***

2. Going Down To The Sea

A very angry water,

miffed over some perceived slight.

A change in character,

the water made mad and out of its senses.

So I’m going down to the beach

to shout at the waves,

shouting songs and sermons and psalms.

I’m reciting a poem to calm the sea,

assuring the drowned

of safe passage and eternal rest.

I’m telling the tide to turn,

to return to the storm’s source

and take with it the souls of those damned.

The souls of swimmers gone under.

Their feint cries like tender kisses.

***
3. Off The Record

Not now, I’m listening

to the rain’s confession.

Told in confidence

one November morning.

Spoken in whispers and gasps,

the rain’s secret life,

its untold story.

Sweeping leaves after the storm,

the rain took me aside,

wringing its blue hands,

eyes sparkling with tears.

The rain confided in me.

But what can you say?

How does one reply?

Clouds hushed and gathering,

as if something were on their minds.

As if they too

had secrets to spill

over the blackened horizon.

***

4. Permanent Solution

I was half way to the pavement

when I changed my mind.

After leaping from the bridge

I took a moment to mull it over,

my decision perhaps too hasty,

gravity a son of a gun.

Speaking of which, my itchy trigger-finger,

the difference between brain and mind.

And how I wished my doubt had lingered.

Lawrence Upton - Song: In formation Nutrition (2 voice)

ADMITTED AMUSERS WHIPLIKE

EFFECT FOUL HATLESS

ADMITTED MAKEUP WHIRLIES

ASTUTE FLESH SHELF

ADMITTED MUSHIER WASPLIKE

CHEAT FLUFF TOELESS

ADMITTED SMASHUP WIRELIKE

CHOSE LEAFLET STUFF

ADMITTER ASSUMED WHIPLIKE

CASSETTE FLUFF HOLE

FEEL SHUTOFF

ADMITTER IMPULSED WEAKISH

ETHOS FLUFF THOSE

ADMITTERS AMUSED

CHALET EFFUSES LOFT

ADMITTERS LIKE WHIPS

CHUTES FLEET OFFAL

ADULTERATE SKIMP WHIMSIED

CLEFT EASEL SHUTOFF

AIRSHIPS MILKWEED MUTATED

AFFECT

AMATEURISH SKIMPED WILTED

FLESHES LOUT

AFFECT

FULLEST SHOE

PIKED AMATEURISM WHISTLED

COAL FLUFFS

AMPLITUDE DIAMETER WHISKS

COLA FLUFFS HUFFLE

DREAMT WHISKIES

ALOFT FETCHES FUELS

MISDATE WHISKER

CHUFF EEL FALSETTOS

MISTAKER WISHED

SKATER WHIMSIED

EFFECT FLASHES LOUT

SMARTIE WHISKED

CHEESES FLUFF TOTAL

STREAK WHIMSIED

CASTLE FLUSH TOFFEE

DIAMETER WHISK

CHAFE

ACHE FLUFFS FULLEST OFFSET

CHUFF LEAFLESS TOTE

AFOUL CHEFS FETTLES ALE CHESTFUL

ALOE SCUFFLE THEFTS ALOFT

EFFUSES LETCH

FACET FLESH FOULEST

ATHLETE FUEL SCOFFS HUSTLES TOFFEE

CHUTES LEAFLET OFF

CASTOFF FLUTE HEELS

COAT FLEET SHUFFLES

FULL SEETHE

CHAFF FEELS OUTLETS

CHAFF FLEES OUTLETS

CLOSET FATE SHUFFLE

COFFEES FLAT SLEUTH

OCTET SAFE

Selene Charalambos - Bedtime Feelings

Bedtime feelings:
- freezing
- disorientation
- knowing
- quaint
- scintillating
- flippant
- onerous
- ajar
- uppity
- inward
- verdant
- irate
- towering
- melting
- ossified
- humdrum
- else