Hot Dog Man

this child or those children
clutch something to it's/their chest(s)

a dog running scared and erratic a broken path across the street splatters piss as it runs.

a clapping game

low sulphurous glow bleeds out into darkness edges blur and refocus negotiate the treacherous outlines of this child or those children

a murderous clapping game

in a lift or maybe a stairwell laugh as limbs splay capricious and useless as a Disney fawn bleeds out into a darkness

his blood or my blood

drawn lazy and decorative across the glass and this mouth slurs sweetish breath of tainted sugar and acetone:

"I'm so hungry"

an overly complex and insurmountable obstacle almost - a ridiculous equation and a fraught expedition back and back again, a re-tracing, a burden

drop him awkward by the fountain, this untidy pool of malfunctioning shadow kicking his legs out of the sick puddles of orange light and he giggles politely an acceptance or whatever and mould your face into some expression - something vague and complicated like insouciant need maybe and present yourself trembling slightly.

"you want some bread?" held out like to a nervous but unpredictable creature all soft fur and sharp teeth

"here - eat it"

he makes some mime of biting and chewing like I have no language or the concept of eating is something alien and exotic to me although we've performed this routine together on several occasions

" I put some onions in - you like onions?"

a non-committal gesture and indicate vaguely in the direction of the fountain stretch out my hand

"my friend is hungry"

murderous children gather clapping somewhere just beyond the outer edges of vision brush them away a tear and a slow sensuous trickle of grease follows the vein pulsing here in the wrist

He follows this gesture with his eyes squints and shakes his head

"no - stay - eat it here"

he watches apparently rapt - this lacklustre performance of bite chew - thick cotton wool bread and slick stale onion sticks like sharp stones in the throat -and swallow, the empty space by the fountain a glimmering backdrop.