Counting Cardboard Sheep

They are ghosts. Someone, sometime, has unplugged them and their warm bodies have gone cold.

Nothing pisses me off more than ghosts.

"Stop haunting the back of the room!" I slam my hand on the desk. For a moment, one almost looks me in the eye before pulling down his red knitted hat over his face. He scurries away, in and out of the walls. "Fucking ghosts," I say.

*

Unnamed Democratic Candidate #1, Getting Ready for Bed:

Bathroom is dark. Flip the switch and then the sink, the mirror. Make-up washed off. Ah. Here is the face the cameras don't see. The clock in the dark bedroom says it is late. Spouse already asleep. Brush teeth, check teeth, floss, rinse. Beyond the clothed curtain is the view from the hotel, high in the air. The network of city lights as a constellation. The road that is Orion's belt. Myself in the mirror the moment before the light goes off.

*

"What did you think of the speech?"

"Anyone?"

I have serious questions about anyone who chooses to spend their time with ghosts. The ghosts don't mind, of course; you can ask them whatever you want, the only thing they response to is sound. So it is your tone that matters more. If you are interested in talking with ghost (why would you be?) it is best to keep your voice down, and frequency low. Like this:

"Yeah that speech was pretty good"

"Yeah"

"Yeah"


"Yeah"

See? Got all three of them that time. Just don't overdue it -- repetitive, predictable sound is the easier to filter out.


*

Due to their porous nature, ghosts can hold liquids for up to fifteen minutes before having to release it back to physical world, which may explain why they like drinking so much.

*

What the Candidate Thinks Immediately Before Falling Asleep:

there were sheep in the meadow electric green crayola or blue I tasted and it was like wax and then got sick at whose birthday? john w, john w something must be somewhere now watching well he won't be for so long I wish there was something else to wear these sheepskin wool sweater so itchy my skin ah keep scratching gotta sleep soon 1 2 3 sheep under what a big moon! but what do they look like like cardboard cut-outs going baah each time they jump over the fence thats 4 5 6 over the moon landing off screen he planted the flag one big leap 7 8 space and stars so dark forever and ever and ever and then

*

The ghosts are old enough to vote. It has been a long and arduous campaign; month of low frequency waves punctuated by the proper mix of distortion and noise. They are sufficiently rallied -- in corners of the subway car, underwater, huddled in groups of 2s and 3s. The ghosts and I are halfway to the island when the car rattles to a halt. There is a sound like an explosion. And then the lights go out.

You might think they are unconcerned, but I know ghosts; they are scared shitless.

I emit some low amplitude jokes, just to take the edge off, but one floats to the car next door and says, "Oh fuck, it's on fire." Everyone tries to make their way the other direction, but when I slide open the heavy doors, I can see the smoke and realize that the train is burning from both ends. The ghosts go crazy.

What do we do

What do we do

What do we do

and I am saying "Calm down everyone! We just need a plan..." while outside the train and past the tunnel walls floats all the water of the East River--

What do we do

"Listen up! Listen! " The fire is now pressed against both ends of the car. "If someone would just listen, and concentrate--" but they are flitting back and forth through the smoke and each other, if only they would listen maybe but what do we do and the fire comes through and I am thinking something something important remembering as the smoke fills my lungs something about something about the moon a giant leap sea green or blue he spat it out if only I could find the words we could say it once and for all everything would be perfectly clear in small steps we'd have a chance but what do we do what do we do what do we