Poetry: "Fields Are Fallow"

Poetry: "Fields Are Fallow"

                Fields are Fallow

                Nothing Grows.

                Seeds are eaten by the crows

                Ignored by the skittish does

                In the winter water froze

                Crops wilt dead in phalanx rows

                 Nettles thorny like a rose

                  Agriculture's in its Death Throes 

Mostly Subversive Poetry

Poetry:  "Bush is still there..."

     Are we prepared for disaster?/Bush is still there./ Impeach him! /Faster. Faster/ I'm sure he thinks he's The Master.

               Untitled

     Patrick Holland 'divorced' his dad, who killed his mom in '98. I'm sure he won't forget that date. [of his mom's murder] Having such a father, what a rotten fate. Now for his dad he feels little love and only hate.

             "It's a Wonderful World"

      It's a wonderful world, all squalid and black/But human vermin can attack/Be prepared to always watch your back/Empathy these vermin [violent criminals] lack/ As they break-in to your shack/When your abed or you have a snack./ They will no longer have their fun/ If you aim and shoot your gun... (tbc?)

Subversive Poetry

Poetry:  Untitled

       We buried the dog beside the road/Got hit by a truck, was squashed like a toad... (tbc?)

                 "Ms. Terry Schialvo"

        While Ms. Schialvo is in Woodside Hospice the Constitution is getting its butt kicked./All because of the arrogance of many politicians we all picked... (tbc?)

                     

   "On the Publicity of Mass Murderers"

         Manson, Gacey, Dahmer ,etc., why do they deserve to be publicized?

         [Such murderers] They want to be Famous, perhaps that's why they kill

         But only their Victims do pay the bill.

         We know what they've done, with knife, brawn or gun

          But they ought to be 'Stunned' [Electrocuted] and not made Famous.

        

Poetry: "He Drank 'Til He Stank"

Subversive Poetry: "He Drank 'Til He Stank"

       He drank 'til he stank and he drank some more.

       He drank 'til he stank and he stumbled out the door.

       He drank 'til he stank and he fell to the floor.

       He drank 'til he stank and his liver was sore.

       He  drank 'til he stank and he breathed no more. 

Song-Poem: "Love Con"

Poetry/Song Lyrics:  "Love Con"

       Love Con

        Your money's all gone.

        You've lost your lust and you cannot trust.

         And your dreams have turned to dust.

         Love Con

         Your Money's all gone.

         Your car has rust

          Don't forgive her if you think you must.

         For the world of love can be unjust.

Some Short Poems: "The Cake", etc.

    Poetry:  "The Cake"

    55 minutes give or take/ In the oven set on bake/ An hour later you get a cake/ That'll float upon a lake/ It isn't phony. It isn't fake./ It can be quite fun to make./ It makes your belly quake and shake./ Like a drug, it's hard to take/And they can serve it at your wake.

     Your final rest./ Your Sunday best./ That's how you're dressed./ Laid outt in your coffin./ Live life with zest/ Ere your final rest at Fate's behest.

"The Great White"

     In waters of Australia a diver's in a cage/ Before he knows what happens a Great White shows his rage./ I'm sure the fellow thought right then, "Why do I dive?"/ One thing he knows for sure he's lucky he's alive.

"Rusty Blade"  In the shade, there's a rusty blade,/so watch out where you tread./ If you're there at the wrong time you could wind up dead./ This could merely be a dream while you are in bed./ If it's not, the way you feel is justify-ed dread.

  A few untitled poetry fragments:

       Addictions/ afflictions/ mouths to feed/ drudging for money/ for all that you need... (to be cont'd??)

       At the top of the Food Chain you hunt to survive./ Eat your prey and stay alive... (to be cont'd??)

Poetry "Mary" and "Mary #2"

Poetry:    "Mary"

     Mary was a little wolf who howled like a loon./Better stay away from her when there is a full moon./ Carry silver bullets underneath your wool./ Or your life's in danger when the moon is full...

     Mary was a little wolf whose teeth were white as snow./Get too close to her mouth then your blood may flow./ Don't stumble, fall, or go slow when the full moon shows/ Or your kin is sure to feel an awful lot of woe.

                 "Mary #2"

     Mary ran a little scam in person or [on] the phone./ Better guard your assets if she is in your home./ Watch her every minute./ Do not let her roam./ Or through your belongings she is sure to comb.

     Mary ran a little scam, she ran off with your dough./ And everywhere that Mary went the police failed to show./

      Mary ran a little scam, she'd fleece 'em in the snow./ It didn't faze her at all that she caused a lot of woe./

      Mary ran a little scam./ Don't let her in your house./ She can rob ye blind, as quiet as a mouse./ Don't be fooled, distracted by her loosened blouse;/ For in her heart there ex-ists a cold, black-hearted louse.

     One guy she ripped-off had a Christmas not so merry. After eating too much ham he had a coronary.

     Mary had her comuppance, some thought it was a joke./ While robbing a poor sucker she had a fatal stroke./ And Mary smoked tobacco so she was often broke. 

       

Poetry: "The Living Dead"

Poetry: "The Living Dead"    I know Hallowe'en is a little way's off, but the genres of horror and sci-fi are among my writing influences.

       The Living Dead hide in your shed/ At night they creep beside your bed./ They feed on you while you're abed./ They won't relent until they're fed/ Or find another source [of Blood] instead./ Beware of them or you'll fall dead./

       The Living Dead hide in your shed./ Heed their presence or you'll fall dead./[And] At night come out and cause you dread.

       The Living Dead will tap a vein/ and then will eat into your brain./ Venture too close to their hive/ And you'll be lucky your alive.

Poetry: "Don't Look a Goddess..."

Poetry: "Don't Look a Goddess..."

                 Don't look a Goddess in the eye./ And if she's bathing do not spy./ For if you do, you just might die./ Or if she smites you you'll know why./ To your aid she'll never fly./ Or save your soul with your vain cries./ In Tartarus you just may fry./ Be wary if a Gorgon's nigh./ She'll mesmerize ye to the sky.

       Don't gaze upon her with your eyes alone;/Unless you want to turn to stone. Perhaps she'll even send a crone,/ To grind you up, your Flesh and Bone.

       Though some may say it isn't fair,/ with goddess near you shouldn't stare.

        No matter what or when or time of year to a goddess do not leer.

Crossword Story #1, Part 10 or 10

Experimental Fiction: Crossword Story:  "The Volcano, the Island, and the Missionaries"

       Some of the female missionaries, like Erin, were Registered Nurses. It was a real struggle to get the villagers to embrace Western Medicine. After all, the Sou people had their own herbal concoctions, salves, poultices, and a wide variety of natural remedies, combined with a form of meditation.  The tribe especially feared needles and make-shift dentistry, and would often cry out in pain when pricked or prodded by Anglo physicians and nurses. Sometimes even pills were prescribed for real or imagined physical and mental conditions. Like most young women, Erin had the urge to 'sow her wild oats'. She often wore a missionary outfit, but would shed it around her paramour.  THE END

  Epilogue: After many years the missionaries succeeded in converting most of the young villagers to Christianity. This was a mixed blessing. The tribe survived, but the culture, the language, the traditions, and irreplaceable knowledge of the elders eventually died. These young villagers became part of the modern world and became susceptible to alcoholism, drug addiction, obesity, and other facts of contemporary life.  Some even intermarried with the missionaries.  Finito.

      I recently came across an interesting quote that sums up how I feel about religion, attributed to the philosopher Epicurus:      "If God is willing to prevent evil, but is not able to Then He is not omnipotent.

        If  He is able, but not willing Then He is malevolent.

        If   He is both able and willing Then whence cometh evil?

        If He is neither able nor willing Then why call Him God?"

                                --Epicurus         

Crossword Story #1, Part 9 of 10

Experimental Fiction: Crossword Story: "The Volcano, the Island, and the Missionaries" cont'd

       The missionary compound bisected the village. Mohatma's beautiful, eldest daughter Nor was often sexually harassed by young male missionaries, but she never complained, nor did she give-in. If her father or Chief Russell found out there'd be hell to pay. Instead of complaining about the harassment, she prayed to the goddess Lape'. Nor even kept this secret from her best friend and sister Epa because she was so embarrassed.

       Ted liked to sing to the villagers. He was a good tenor, but the villagers preferred the clicking and grunting chants, unique to the Sou culture. Some of the missionaries called Nor 'Olivia', believing the sound of the word might entice her to go with them. Fortunately for all involved, she never was tempted to give-in or vulnerable enough to be taken advantage of.  (to be cont'd)

Crossword Story #1, Part 8 of Several

Experimental Fiction: Crossword Story:   "The Volcano, the Island, and the Missionaries"

       To Russell, Father Ted was the rudest missionary and was also a threat to his rule. Ted seemed to undermine Russ's authority at every turn. Russ even wanted to pummel Ted, but Sou was traditionally very hospitable to guests, even arrogant ones.

       Leaves rustled at the moment of the eruption and now they did so again. The villagers all crouched in fear. This seemingly insignificant event had no importance for the Anglos, but in Sou religion and mythology ( or superstition as the missionaries called it) something as simple as rustling leaves can have a profound effect on a whole village community. (to be cont'd)  

Crossword Story #1, Part 7 of Several

Experimental Fiction: "The Volcano, the Island, and the Missionaries" cont'd

       Village archers and warriors with menacing spears worried the missionaries, even though the 'soulsavers' carried an emergency pistol. In addition to (supposedly) saving souls, many of the missionaries belonged to Argre Inc., an American corporation notorious for exploiting people in the third world. Those few missionaries who cared enough to find out about the customs of the Sou village hoped they wouldn't pray to their war and vengeance deity.

       Missionaries couldn't pronounce his name, but they referred to the village chief as Russell. He was soft-spoken and mild-mannered most of the time, but he had a menacing stare. However, Russ could be petty toward some people and sometimes publicly whipped the insubordinate. If someone was a real threat or an incorrigible transgressor or criminal, they'd be 'erased' or permanently exiled. Very rarely was a villager executed for breaking tribal law. However, fraternizing (dating) with a missionary could get both parties eviscerated. (to be cont'd)

Crossword Story #1, Part 6 of Several

Experimental Short Fiction: "The Volcano, the Island, and the Missionaries" cont'd

       The sea surrounding the island abutting the village was an important part of their religion and mythology, called Mal in their native tongue. According to local folklore, Mal or the sea brought villagers to this island on the backs of an enormous fish. Also, whenever a villager passes on, their body is never buried on land, but is instead sent out to sea to be reunited with Mal.

       Father Ted, the abbot of the missionaries acted nice in front of the villagers, but behind the scenes he and his henchmen (fellow priests and missionaries) made decisions on behalf of the village which more often than not harmed rather than helped their vulnerable community. For example, on a daily basis, he disrupted village rituals to impose Christian values on non-Christian villagers or oft attempted to proselytize the youth of the village without their family's consent or approval. Also, most of the people of the village wore boots made of plant products. The missionaries pushed the villagers to switch to leather shoes, in exchange for cash-crops, of course. Naturally, the missionaries and especially the priests disapproved and tried to abolish the practice of burying the dead at sea, but the villagers were resistant to change this particular custom.  (to be cont'd)

       

Crossword Story #1, Part 5 of Several

"The Volcano, the Island, and the Missionaries" cont'd

       Aba, a daughter of Mahatma indefinitely delayed her wedding after the eruption. The missionaries renamed Mahatma Mel because it was easier to say and to them more cordial. Unlike the villagers, the missionaries considered Mahatma a klutz and they had little or no respect for him or his ideas. (or those of the other villagers, for that matter.). Erin, another Anglo missionary from Ireland had a secret affair with one young male villager.  There were no grapes in Mahatma's village, but fruit dried by the lava tasted much like raisins to the missionaries. Ethan, an American missionary tried to smooth over hard feelings about Erin's supposedly secret liaisons. She was censured by her mentor priests. 

       Some of the younger missionaries brought an old-fashioned hand-cranked victrola and some vinyl oldies records. The young villagers seemed to enjoy this odd music, but the elder villagers considered it a cacophanous menace. 

       The villagers principal god was Crah. He was very unlike the Judeo-Christian God, but just as real to most villagers. He actually answered prayers most of the time, or so it seemed.  "What did we do to offend Crah?", many villagers wondered after the malevolent volcano erupted. Crah very rarely punished His faithful followers.  (to be cont'd)  

Crossword Story #1, Part 4 of Several

  "The Volcano, the Island and the Missionaries"

       An SST flew over the village and many villagers cowered in fear. They rarely saw many modern modes of transportation, including automobiles. Interestingly, the Apollo moonshot flew by the island many years before, and the villagers lives were affected by this omen. They knew their culture would oneday change, but they did not know whether for the better or the worse.

       Mahatma's wife, Ada was very frightened by both the volcano and the modern ideas of many of the missionaries. The zest of a lemon peel slightly calmed her down. Many villagers felt a foreboding feeling of dread even before the volcano erupted. 'Ensigns' in the village navy paddled their war canoes.

       One single benefit of the eruption was that the local creek was temporarily transformed into a spa, although most of the fish perished. 

       Dallas, another American missionary, was worried that the 'supersitious and godless' villagers might resort to violence against them. Zeroes, as some of the missionaries referred to the villagers (as in Zero God, Zero Religion) actually had a rich culture and religious traditions just not Judeo-Christian ones, before the Anglo-missionaries came and ruined everything with their do-good arrogance and so-called superior ideas.       

Crossword Story #1, Part 3 of Several

"The Volcano, the Island and the Missionaries"

       A lot of villagers sought answers from Ope' about why the volcano devastated their village, and if the presence  of these outsiders ( missionaries) had anything to do with it. Older villagers vaguely recall a prophecy that their village will be destroyed by a volcano, which will herald the presence of unwanted infiltrators.

       A lone zebra races by the village immediately before the eruption. Zebras have a lot of symbolism to the villagers, although these striped horses usually graze many, many miles away.

       Mahatma was once the equivalent of a sergeant in the village militia. In the village sty swine acted really anxious just before the eruption. Olla, a young woman villager had a splint on her left arm. She stumbled, fell and broke her arm as a tremor occurred following the eruption. Salah, the family maid had to do nearly everything for her while she recovered.  (to be cont'd) 

Crossword Story #1, Part 2 of Several

    "The Volcano, the Island, and the Missionaries" cont'd

       Many Elm trees in and around the village were scorched from the lava. The volcanic eruption and its aftermath plagued the thoughts of Mahatma and his neighboring villagers. Doc Allele, an English doctor and missionary tried to reassure the villagers that the Christian God would comfort them, while their gods and traditions regarding thunder, volcanos and earthquakes were mere superstitions only worth forgetting about. And the sooner the better. Eli, another young missionary was slightly more sensitive to the needs of these nonbelievers. 

       These villagers made a sacred drink similar to honey mead, but the recent volcanic eruption made it pretty much undrinkable. Not even village drunkards wanted to taste this awful beverage. Needless to say the missionaries disapproved of this supposed sacred drink.

       The Shaman of this village was named Ope'. He was deeply worried about the ominous volcanic eruption of  'vomiting fire rocks' according to his beliefs, plus the presence of these accursed missionaries. He thought to himself or his gods, "What do they know about our rituals and traditions? Who are they to say their beliefs are truer or better?"  (to be cont'd)   

Crossword Story #1, Part 1 of Several

Crossword Story #1: Part 1 of  "The Island, the Volcano, and the Missionaries"

       A volcano erupts lava from the bowels of the earth. This fiery cataclysm caused much woe to those who lived within a ten-mile radius of the eruption. Mahatma felt he was being punished by the gods for being stingy with his crops and his fish-catch. He would often deny desperate and hungry neighbors even a small share of his food stores unless they were very persistent. He also resented these beggars.

        Also, his cherished, beuatifully ornate macaw flew from its perch and perished from the volcanic fumes wafting in the air.

        Usually, fate always seemed to smile on Mahatma. He had a lovely wife, beautiful daughters and strong sons. He lamented to whoever would listen , " Why am a having such bad luck?" He even prayed to the gods for things to go back the way they were before the eruption.    (to be cont'd)

Influences and Crossword Stories

       People who have influences my writing style include cartoonist Edmund Gorey, especially his "Ghashleycrumb Tinies",  the late Gonzo Journalist Hunter S. Thompson (his writing, not his lifestyle),  Edgar Allen Poe, and the genre of horror and science-fiction.

     Crossword Stories:

       Sixteen years ago or so I was a full-time undergrad student at Eastern Connecticut State University. One semester I took a Creative Writing course: Writing Fiction, taught by novelist Bruce Clements. I needed to write 40 pages of material by the end of the semester. After about 25 pages of material I started to run out of ideas. To avoid getting a low grade I came up with the idea to use the answers from completed Crossword Puzzles to write stories. For years I have been doing crossword puzzles. It was the same basic idea as Mad Libs . Anyway, using crossword puzzles usually didn't result in stories that would 'flow', but the professor liked the idea and I got a B as a final grade in his class.

       A few years ago I came up with a more elaborate idea for writing Crossword Stories. I went to a print shop and purchased about 200 or so cards and on the cards I alternated between 1-Across, 1-Down, etc. until I ran out of cards. I would shuffle the cards, so what crossword answer(s) I would use would be as random as possible. I also bought a pair of dice which I would throw to determine how many sentences would be in any given paragraph. One Christmas Eve I tried it out and wrote a short story entitled  "The Island, the Volcano and the Missionaries" in which a recent volcanic eruption and the presence of Christian missionaries both do damage to an indigenous island culture. It took me about three hours to write. The story is pretty good, but it doesn't exactly 'flow.'  In the next week or so I plan to post it here.    

Poetry: "The Hordes of Hoard"

"The Hordes of Hoard"     The Hordes of Hoard have too much stuff./ They don't know when to say, "Enough!"/ Renting out a storage cell./ Keeping stuff they ought to sell. /   The Hordes of Hoard have too much junk,/ With papers over their whole bunk./

     Certain Hordes'  have clutter to the ceiling./ They may need help to deal with what they're feeling./    The Hordes of Hoard have so much stuff/ They don't know when to quit./ And if you insist they 'downsize'  they're apt to throw a fit./

     Some folks use too much bread and butter,/ While Hoarding Hordes have too damn much clutter.

     Some Hordes of Hoard, with clutter high/ Have fallen down or even died;/ Or given bugs a place to hide./ And lost their home or their young bride. 

"Life is Fair", Poetry

"Life is Fair"    Life is Fair when you have no friends, so you dive alone and you get 'the Bends'.

  Life is Fair when you have no food And you have no clothes so you walk around nude.

 Life is Fair when you have no cash, so on a neighbors' couch you crash.

  Life is Fair when you can't pay Rent, so to the curb your stuff is sent.

Life is Fair when you're too darn shy, so the best girl(s) go to the other guy(s).

 Life is Fair when your Love is unrequited, so when the one you Love has parties you never are invited.

Life is Fair when you Need a girl, but another guy has 'rocked her world'.

Life is Fair when you're stuck in Jail, and you have no Skills so you're bound to Fail. And even worse you can't pay Bail.

 Life is Fair when you're deep in Debt; plus you're nearly Homeless and you can't pay Rent.

  Life seems rigged so you cannot win, And when you do they say it's a Sin.

"Terry Schialvo" or "The Persistent Vegetative States of America" (a work in Progress)

    "Terry Schialvo" or "The Persistent Vegetative States of America" (A Work in Progress)

     Make sure you sign your Living Will./ Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.

      Make sure you pay your Doctor Bill./ Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.

      If you don't Assert your Voice,/ Congress or Bush may make the Choice.

      Never mind that Texas Rube [Geo. W. Bush], Just remove her Feeding Tube.

       Send her to Sweden, They'll take care of her there.

       A Brave New World of Hospice Care. 

        Or send [Dr.] Jack Kevorkian if you Dare.

       These Politicians don't play Fair...

"No More Condos" and Other Short Poems

  "No More Condos"    Wear a Condom! No more Condos/ No more Forests being Bulldozed./No more Birds or Beasts must Die./ No more High-rise buildings nigh.../ Fewer Bush-electing Snobs/ A lot less for Construction Mobs./ With our Climate, Roll the Dice./ We have lost our Paradise./ Why did we make this Sacrifice?

     

"Animal Lover"    People I can take or leave. [My] Animal(s) tug at my sleeve. "Feed me. Love me. Take me out. Give me water. Please don't shout." If I had to 'Put Her Down'. [Euthanize my pet.] The Grief would take me out of town.

"Cryonic"    When I fall Dead place me in  'Cryo'/ Freeze me Stiff, I don't want to Die-o.../ The Frozen Dead, without a Head; Forever Asleep in a Cryogenic Bed./ If they ever get Revived,/ We won't Believe that they're Alive...

"Sticks and Stones"     "Sticks and Stones" can you know what,/ "But names can never hurt you". [?]  What a Goddamned Lie!  Verbal Abuse can Stress you out and make you want to Die.

"C.S.I."     Chalk outline on the Ground./ The Murder Victim makes no Sound./ [Her] Circulation cut off from being bound./ On her Blood she nearly Drowned.../Bloodhounds sent all round and round./ The Perpetrator'(s) never found.  

"Netherworlds" Finale, Part 7

      Just after the miracle occurred (the salvation of Jason's life and soul) the demons were already wreaking havoc and causing death, destruction and mayhem all over the Earth. Earthquakes were no longer just San Andreas' Fault.

       When Jason found out that most of Hell's demons went down to Earth he had to try to think of a way to stop them before the fiends got to the world's nuclear arsenal [bombs]. The only objects which could be made into weapons were the stalactites and stalagmites which were all over the place in the caverns of Perdition. He would also need to sneak past Satan or fight. He could not afford to lose, though the odds were certainly stacked against him. As he planned his strategy though, he collapsed from exhaustion.  The world's destiny relied on Jason's speedy recovery before the demons stumbled into a world-wide Nuclear Holocaust. If  Jay woke up Lucifer would rearrange Hell into a maze with a crisis at every turn and only one way out.

 Would God help?   [THE END?] 

"Netherworlds" Story Part 6

      Satan then put Jason through many psychological tortures which were merely illusions, but seemed very real. It seemed to Jay his entrails broke apart and his skin turned inside-out. Every organ of his body then appeared to turn on spits as the condemned infants teethed on his brains. His teeth seemed to be chiseled away to nothing and his gums bled profusely. Lucifer admired this mortal's determination or will to live, unless God himself intervened.

      Meanwhile, the Devil ordered his legions to disperse and take over the Earth through cracks in the Ozone Layer caused by aerosol spray and other pollution.

      Jason eventually realized that Beelzebub's hold on him was entirely psychological. Jay's body soon reunited, which he observed. From then on, whatever torture the Devil tried Jason would laugh it off as if he were in a funhouse.

      Before he realized it, though, Jason's comatose body started to die. His friend Ian tried CPR and other revival methods all to no avail as Jason's body contorted (or seemed to) into a pretzel-like shape.  Jay's body would have died and his soul damned if God hadn't intervened. God realized Jason was right about errors the Supreme Being had allowed through indifference and passivity, so He decided to spare this foolish mortal's life and soul.  (to be cont'd)      

"Netherworlds" Story Part 5

     The Devil boasted that he was fully responsible for humans discovering nuclear weapons technology, which may have been partially true. Lucifer exclaimed, "If the world is destroyed it is mine!, people, land and all."

      Jason blurted out, " You lie. All these things you say cannot be entirely true. Can they?" After these words Satan's temper literally exploded and Jay saw something resembling a mushroom cloud form where Lucifer stood.

     "Thanks for giving me an excuse.", Beelzebub laughingly said. All Hell literally broke loose and bellows pumped harder than ever.  Satan was elated since he could taint and torture Jason's soul like how a cat would play with a helpless mouse. First, the Devil put Jay in a dream-like trance where things from his worst nightmares would occur to get his heart pounding.   (to be cont'd) 

"Netherworlds" Story Part 4

     Jason talked to Satan about many things. Lucifer naturally blamed God for many of the world's problems, which was partially true since God was weakened by nuclear waste and other pollutants from Earth. Plus, he tended to be passive anyway. As the Devil said, "Free will, a likely excuse." Jay acknowledged that he originally didn't believe in Heaven or Hell. Jason tactly gave Satan some compliments so as not to enrage his host. Once he got going though he overstepped his bounds. His first mistake was saying: "I must say that I doubt any one being could represent or influence all evil." Also, he thought to himself, " If God created everything, including the Devil and evil, God really is the one responsible for evil." If Lucifer was annoyed he didn't show it. At least at first. Satan proudly reminisced about Hitler, Stalin, and others who he had influenced or who had influenced him.  (to be cont'd)  

"Netherworlds" Story Part 3

      On the surface of Hell were mostly organ donors bumping into everything. Jason asked Satan why such do-gooders were condemned. The Devil avoided the question and changed the subject. It turned out that Lucifer won custody of these unfortunates in a tense game of chess between Heaven and Hell.  A moment later an eyeless soul bumped into Jay and rebounded into Satan. Lucifer backhanded the eye-sore like a tennis pro. Jason protested so the Devil justified his violence with: "This soul is my property, so I can treat it any way I please."  [The Devil saw humans as its rather than hims or hers.] Jason didn't argue with Satan on that point. Lucifer inferred to Jay that poltergeists were clumsy spirits of organ donors occasionally allowed to drift earth-ward since they were just barely unsuitable for Heaven. There were also babies turning on a spit on the surface as "Twist and Shout" could distinctly be heard. These hapless infants were mostly still-borns borne of illicit love. If these babies could grow up in Hell they would probably become proteges of Lucifer, if not demons. Perhaps they were young demons. Jason wasn't saddened for these children since with overpopulation, wars, disease and famine, death was so common on Earth.  (to be cont'd)