Soldiers of Misfortune

Whenever I find myself a snow ghost a woman benevolently enters to forecast an oncoming blizzard; her name is Ursala - forever winter. I search inside an ice cavern welted into a pond pit. Our neighbors came for me in the night; they will chain me to a loop, I will dive into a tunnel created by a diamond shovel.

"And what of Yasmeen?"

"It was her idea."

"I will get her for this."

My pajamas were a gift from Nicoli. He told me penguins were religious people; I asked him what they worship.

"Bread and coffins."

Slipping through the channel of Satanic radio a snake wraps around my stomach; she is a rare python, her color is orange and blue upon white scales. I must be dreaming, after all I am inside the earth endangering my life, there is a contrast of reptilian couture tickling my belly, the neighbors are chanting 'Sadness' a lyrical lament for those who are said never to return to earth as they were; I wonder how I will see them when they come back.

"Ursala there is a snake inside my shirt."

"I sent her to you."

"Where does she come from?"

"I knew they would send you."

"It was Yazzy's idea!"

"They will send her after you do not come out for a while."

"Good."

"You must wonder how I arrived."

"Not particularly."

"And why not?"

"You swam into the trench."

"How did you know?"

"That is where Enoch says rainbow fish live."

"He eats them."

"No!"

"Yes he does."

"No!"

"They are nasty little buggers with hooked teeth; they eat all the tuna and salmon."

"I want to try one."

"We shall see."

Yasmeen is singing the chorus line through a conch shell at the width of an ice uterus; Hanbok told us it came from a hermit in Jamaica. I asked him what the recluse feared.

"White people."

My dream consists of crystallized ice chiming a symphonic theoretical instrument frozen within rainbow prismatic triangular regions. Color is sound and I am inside the kingdom. Blue eyes sway back to forth in white formations. Ursala faints from mysterious depths of sub conscious climax as camouflage lays her upon a bed of solid sheets. A tumbling boom rolls into a fluff of snow crystals; she is a girl.

"You used the only chain we had!"

"I got you back."

Pairs of chocolate Saturn orbs float around Yasmeen as I adjust her static mane with a formula of condensation and fingers. We are being circled into ambiance.

"Bianca."

"Enoch."

"Bebe....."

"Yes?"

"There is a wolf in the guest house."

"There are several wolves in the guest house."

"And....."

"There are several bobcats as well."

"Okay."

"Are you upset?"

"No. I was just wondering who they were."

A care flight lands onto a concrete slate of welded steel; Ursala arises.

"What the hell?"

Nicoli is counting sheep quite literally, he is somewhat asleep, Yasmeen recovered natural food coloring of many concocted hues.

"One.....two.....three......"

There is an aquifer behind the abandoned train station which is rumored to be a gang fortress for runaway inmates.

"They are people who mate amongst themselves."

"What does that mean?"

"You don't want to find out."

"You first."

My hand disappears from sight as a dragon's belt appears to be intertwined. I am inside a portrait of madness; writings on the wall speak of human indecency and torture. The inner likeness of me screams a wail of riots; her face is a nauseated demon. Carrying her upon my shoulder I pass into puddles of red water.

"What is that smell?"

"An officer."

Examining his uniform our conclusion is another place we will be damned to lose ourselves.

"Red, white, and blue."

"Enoch would express tackiness."

"He killed himself."

"Why is he here?"

"I am indifferent."

"As am I....."

"There is a letter in his pocket."

To whom it may concern, if you found me here it's because they sent me to hurt you. I rather be dead so fuck them. Yours Sincerely, Egbert.

"We must leave soon."

"I know."

Ursala is flabbergasted.

"It is when flesh jiggles from being overcome with enthusiastic compassion."

She is a vibrating massage for every back she touches.

"Thirty-three.....I'll be damned that fucking sheep is purple.....thirty-four....."

Several women approach us dressed in black leather; they inform us this place is unsafe for young people. There are daggers sheathed into bondage wrap twisted around their wrists however one interests my interests; she is a wired corset upon leather garter sword.

"What kind of blade is it?"

"A machete."

"Six hundred and sixty-six.....must of been that damn ergot."

"All of this for me?"

"Make sure they have enough clean sheets for their beds."

"It's when two people meet and they feel electrical sparks."

To whom it may concern, fuck America. - Corporal Sparks

To whom it may concern, I leave a wife and children. I never loved her anyways and she fucked all my friends. I killed the chief. He was a real asshole. Just leave me hanging. I'm used to it. - Jones

To whom it may concern, I had the hots for Jones all these years. Never did get to tell him. I saw what he did and couldn't take it anymore. I hope I join him in heaven. If you kids find me could you bury us together? Would really appreciate it. - Dick

To whom it may concern, my life is over. I am happy to be dead. Burn my body but cut off my head. I want to see it again. - Michael

Whoever sees me first, don't feel sad, don't be mad, don't be happy either. I am dead! - Lou

Dear Comrades, your country is beautiful and so is the snow. I saw the wolves and the bobcats. I gave them my shoes. I hope they wear them. Thanks for being so cool. - Tim

Ladies & Gentlemen, I am the only one who shot myself. Hanging from chains is my greatest fear. If you are brave please chain my body from an airplane and drop me on top of the mountain I saw on my way here. It looks like a smiling man. I like him. I want to smile like him. - Charlie

Whom it concerns, I am not good at writing things. I just want to tell you that I am really sorry for everything I did. I don't think I ever did anything right until now. - Goober

For you, I know you're out there. They're coming for you. We're not as bad as you think. Americans are just like everybody else. If you are going to hide anywhere you better do it in our country. People there don't give a shit about anything. - Will

Girls and boys, I am an old man, I got twelve grandkids, they're all black, whatever that means. If you can figure out why people hate each other I want you to write it on my left ankle bone. I broke it when I was a kid. I fought a slave master.

For whom it may concern, I am a nurse. I came down here to check on a wound but found all of this. I know what we're doing isn't right so I cut my wrists. I want to be buried next to Goober. He is my best friend. - Gillian

For whom it may concern, my favorite color is purple. I always wanted to meet a vampire. I heard they were dead people that come back for somebody. - Moose

For whom it may concern, my favorite color is red. I always wanted to meet a vampire. I heard they were dead people that come back for somebody. - Goose

To whom it may concern, I read a story about a tiger and a dragon. They stood in front of a gate that some nasty people were trying to break into. Both of them held hands and got trampled. It said when they picked up the big chunk of wood nobody was there. What happened to them? If you know them could you tell them how much I love them. I did it for them. - Justice

To whom it may concern, I read a story about a guy named Lo and a girl named Jenn. They killed themselves and now I understand why. I hope they sure as hell get together. I want to go to their wedding. - Timmy

For whom it may concern, I read a play by some guy named Milkshake. He was a wild motherfucker let me tell you! He said there was a guy built like Rome and a girl that was his Jewel. They drank poison because nobody liked them being around each other. I thought it was bullshit. Let the kids have their hearts. We only got one. If theirs break then ours do too. - Simon

Dear people, I do not have a name. I hid inside a baggage train. When I got here I saw everything I wanted. I kissed a woman. Her name is Ingrid. Tell her it was the best thing I ever did and that I am happy. Her husband killed her. He's behind that pile of dead bodies. Love you for finding me and caring enough to read this - Demon

A mound of black eyes and black hair is a nightmare. Our silence led us elsewhere; the milk genie grants dead wishes. The neighbors are collecting wood for furnaces except for Enoch. He is digging a shallow box; our inquiry is understood.

"She died."

There is a rope hanging from a tree swung into a lynch, a pool of clean swollen vineyards alongside pink sacs of pulp lays underneath.

"He was a guy who betrayed a hero."