1.
On a crooked, cobblestoned and ancient road I briskly 
strode when two men wearing bowler hats, curled 
moustaches, all in black, on a tandem bicycle went this 
way, that way till they fell beneath a coach-and-four.

2.
When I was just six I was rather curious regarding 
paternity. Just who could my father be? I think he was 
skeletal. I think he knew mother, well, controversially.

3.
Then some time much later on, during breakfast Aunt 
Yvonne choked upon a bacon rind. She sang backwards, 
nearly died. Then there was my friend from school whose 
dog turned rabid, mad and cruel, and ate his master up.

4.
I would need more fingers than are given upon either hand 
to count up all the sea-choked screams, calcined 
whispers, rendered seams, pudgy-pretzled baby limbs, 
punctured lungs and altered hymns I’ve seen and heard 
today...