THE INVASION

 

Young boy and grandfather walking in the street

Crowded summertime city street

Toughs walking down the street

Strutting their stuff

Tension in the street

The toughs pass, it's just another day

But the tensions is high

The invasion is here

 

Someone walking with us

A man I have seen before and think I know (my father?)

There is a splash and screaming metal

as his guts hit the ground

For a moment he stands with half a body

Then he falls back

and his head breaks the glass of a store window

Blood runs to the black velvet display case

and pools around his head

Staring up with lifeless eyes,

Haloed with broken glass and blood on tan tile

 

Things move fast and my grandfather takes me......

 

We are up in an apartment, hiding

Once I think there was more here

Things of comfort before the fear

Claimed lives and property gone

Don't know who will survive but the end looks near

 

"These are bad days" says the old man to the boy

Who rises and looks out the second story window

to suburbia below

He can remember how it used to be

Change came suddenly, inexplicably

 

The streets are quiet now,

with a few people moving around

Grandfather summons him to sit and starts to explain

"Just close your eyes and put your head in my lap."

Grandfather has a ceremonial knife

 

The boy knows what will happen now

And with his eyes closed he listens for the sound

Will it be slick like a razor

Or rough like the tearing of cloth?

 

The throat is cut, a soft wet ripping sound

No different than that of an animal

And the deed is done

 

The boy rises and looks at the old man's second mouth

The unnatural gash self inflicted

The old man's lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling.

Now he was alone.

 

G.S., 12/86

 

GS: acoustic percussion, bass, vocal, recorders, keyboard, electric drums, effects

 

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