Homeopape Malfunction

Perry Kinman

He opened up his paper
and the words
began
to run
down the page.

It was the same old slop
Politics, Crime and Sex
all oozing together
in one sickening mess.

He tried to keep it
from running off
onto his white shirt
but was unsuccessful.

A big blurp
even
landed on his
new tie.

He wrinkled his
nose
in disgust
partly against his
now
stained future
and partly
from
the noxious
smell.

As he cringed
smoke emitted
from the war
section
black and oily, disgusting.

More and more
of
it billowed
out
as a loud
shrieking roaring sound
became
slowly but
swiftly audible.

By now the slop
was
pouring out
spattering on those
who sat
around him.

Dark runnels quickly
formed rank
slimy puddles
around him.

He
couldn't stop the
horrendous display of
sensationalism.

As grotesque and repelling
as it was
he was addicted
powerless in its
feted grip
to pull away
or even look away.

Eyes squinting and watering
in the black smoke
hands shaking
a burnt out
mind
led on by
a thoughtless body
he shuddered and shook.
in his total lack of control.

He continued his daily ritual
forcing each page
as more and more violently and
explosively the slop
and news shot forth.

It lashed him
in its terrifying waves
driving all around him
to their knees
with hands over ears
and mouths
choking.

Completely covered
immersed, taken in and spit out, lost, blackened, charred, consumed
finally
forcefully, with no help
he closed the last page
and sat
sweating
unmoving
unseeing
only blinking
in the deafening silence
created.

At last
he lurched up
and stumbled
out
of the train
at his stop
dropping
his paper
in the wire
trash can
looking
no different
from the other
millions
on their way to work.

Postscript:
If he had
held the paper
open
much longer
the flashes
from the atomic blasts
would have
blinded him and effortlessly carried him out of existence
long before he ever
had a chance
to be
surprised.

Some blind spot in his mind wondered who
could create such a monstrosity in the day's
clean technical age.