"Surfing" by Jim McGowin

Jim McGowan was one of ten readers who stepped up to the •chance operations• open-mic at the April 4 reading at Duff's.

The next reading will be Monday, May 23, at Duff's, 392 North Euclid, in the Central West End.

Featured readers will be Eileen G'Sell, Susan SpitFire Lively, and Robert Nazarene.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; admission is $3.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Surfing

Encephalomalacia
is the
softening of brain tissue
at 1:45 AM.

All four lobes feel like pillows
lulling off to zombie sleep,
the strobing through control images,
dropping some LCD,
REM with both eyes twitching, lids open.

The time when reptilian brain is king.

The Familiar Stranger with
999 different heads and a blue suit
with coordinated universal tie
tells me

I should sit back,
relax and enjoy the ride,
trust in the men with the plans,
invest some blood in the stock market,
go buy some Cheetos.

The smile has 31,968 pearly white teeth
thanks to the magic of carbamide peroxide
aka 'whitening gel'.

One head suddenly breaks away from the others,
swears that God will provide
if I just order a DVD.

Another head breaks away
and says it can tell me the secrets
of making money and getting chicks.

Yet another breaks away
and tells me my penis needs a pill
to look and perform like a serpent.

Another and another and another

(beyond the... tacos... initially... eat... stop touching... gorgeous...)

begin peeling, like layers of an electric artichoke,

(what we do know... slammer... now... closed over... cracks in the fuselage...)

changing like machine gun gurus on full automatic.

I choke on the images,
riddled with slugs and slogans
complacent, dreaming,

I choke on my Cheetos.

(On the internet
I once saw a Cheeto
shaped like Jesus.

There's got to be a connection there.)

Oh why am I awake but I'm not?
Why am I awake but I'm not?
why am I still awake but I'm not?

Listening to

Here's the secret to..
Here's the secret to..
Here's the secret to..
Here's the secret to...

Servitude, Control, Lunacy,

A propagation of inert species.

Depersonalization disorder
is total detachment from self or surroundings.

Prosopagnosia is the inability to
recognize your own face in a reflection.

Catatonic stupor is complete deficit of motor activity
due to psychological dysfunction.

Those confined to mental hospitals
take drugs and watch TV all the livelong day.

Or is that watch drugs and take TV all the livelong day?

Whatever.

There are some who believe
this is a great potential for therapy.

-- Jim McGowin