The Text Files

About 1999

This text was published in The Wire.

"The eyes have it.
When you're in trouble you think things can't get any worse.
Then they do.
Then you think..no, they can't get worse than this..
you're wrong again and they do.
Then when they absolutely positively can't be worse than they are
they turn atrocious.
Then you start looking into people's eyes
To see
Ah yes
There it is
Wide apart
Soft and thoughtful
Red rimmed and unseeing
Sleepy watchfulness
The oppertunistic kind
Reading the shine in them like shellac on a formica table
You try to look through them
At the inner you
Where people hide their fears
Where light and matter meet in the dark,
feel each other up for a giggle,
and lick each other's ears for ambition.
It was the year revenge became popular.
It swished onto the stage with a sibilance than was razor sharp.
It slit our throats with Zorro.
Awash in twilight blood and angels.
It cleansed and purified.
Murder most popular.
Grinning
Most of us had better things to do...roll on/forward
slash/forward slash/"

John Cale