Mark Young

Slighted by defecating antelopes

What happens if you have a key
that doesn't work? Try lubricant
or warming the key though 'war-
ming' lube is frequently unsafe —
Durex has had major recalls more
than once. Too much capsaicin in

their lube & a bunch of people
got burns in their vaginas. Flavo-
red lube is generally fine, although
not everyone likes that in their lube
& sometimes elicits indications of
embarrassment. Better to stick with

the bucolic remedies — out of date
fruits/veggies, woodchips/shavings,
alfalfa, straw, & sawdust. They're
supposed to be good in returning
the dead to the living. Also, captive
individuals can be more gregarious.

The seeds of the persimmon

Knife=icy, spoon=snow, fork=
mild — that's how some folks
predict the winter weather, by
slicing open a persimmon &
examining the pattern of the
seeds. Its probably a bit more
civilized than reading the en-
trails of a goat or some such, &

undoubtedly a lot less bloody;
but if haruspices were still in
vogue today, they would have
been iced in, unable to go out
to get a goat or look for a per-
simmon just starting to ripen.

empathy passports

An act of cosmopolitan patriotism
reflects Dostoevsky's belief that
innocence is not an antidote to

abuses of political power. The key,
he feels, to creating a safeguard
when living in an autocracy, is

dissent, a fundamental first step
in the process of progress toward
making a well-functioning society.

 

 

Mark Young's most recent books are Balance, from Neo-Mimeo Editions, Nualláin House, & From the Cave’s jukebox, from Sandy Press. A new book, synecdoche, is due out from Sandy Press in mid-April.