On Back Of The Metal Monsters

A Group Of Dreams

" So what'cha do Laupas?" asked Savannah Shaggy, a man with a goatee and a cat on his shoulder. Someone else in the circle passed me a tobacco pipe while I answered.

"Im a writer and photographer."

The pipe looked like it was pulled from Lord Of The Rings and I immediately wanted one.

"What do you write?" Malachi said from across the circle. Every eye was on me.

"Its mostly songs and some poetry. Nothing fancy." I pulled the leather bound notebook from my camera bag and tossed it to Malachi.

It was full of photos of their groups and poems they had inspired.

"Amazing pup. Can I read one to the fam'?" Malachi didnt wait for an answer he just began reading one of the songs.

"Little pills made of gold

Silence all my thoughts

Words will tumble from my lips

Filter them i'm not

Poisoned sounds from honeyed tongues

And golden pills to match

A Queen of cards with painted rose

And maddened men of hats

In colored waves I think of you

Red is what you've done

Emerald envy strikes a match

And gasoline will run

All the love we've ever made

At gatherings we reap

These lovely clowns of mine

An acid trip at peak

The Cheshire's Song I sing to you

Like smoke on naked skin

My wanderer's heart is calling now

With pointed thoughts of sin

So hear it's cries and follow

A lone wolf in the night

A lover's eyes are watching you

Breaking down your might"

" Its Cheshire's Song," I looked at the open mouths around the circle, "I've got the pictures for it in the back with the rest of my Gathering shots."

Johnny hopped up and yelled at the top of his lungs "WHOOP WHOOP! I've caught me a wild Lette."He danced around around all spastic for a minute then plopped down beside me.

I looked at him over my glasses, " Don't be such a wingnut."

" So you're down with the clown?" Stitch said from beside me.

Stich was a tall kidd, about 18 years old though he seemed older. He had a mass of pink lemonade hair cut into a curly mo-hawk and a thin red line tattooed across his nose and cheeks. He was alway acompanied by his mutt Sullivan. His refusal to wear shoes was astonishing as well as intriguing.

They had already moved on with their conversation.

I pulled a cigarette out of my box and grabbed the bottle of whiskey from Johnny. As I went to take a sipp he stopped my hand.

"Chasers over there," he pointed to the bottle of coke by Panda's feet, "you might wanna use it."

I ignored him and gulped the amber liquid down ,handed him the bottle ,and pulled a cloud from my cigarette.

More stares.

"Im beginning to worry your faces are gonna get stuck like that." I stated not looking up.

"I think you lied to us pup." Malachi handed my book back, " Still sure you not Dirty?"