hamburger people 1978

ask about it 
about her
in your sing-song voice
mouthing the words
him reading a story
telling a story
a script well rehearsed
well-worn flow of words
from the edge of the stage
a spell cast
through a microphone
a vain attempt to evoke
invoke a something
induce a deep and horrified feeling
no one everything
turn everyone into a terrified something
creature in the face of other
terrified creatures 
feeling together 
one thing
together
one thing
together
like a heartbeat
driving the herd toward something
a terrified drum beat
shared through the duodenum
vibrating under the stomach
our agitating friends in the invisible air
wave forms penetrating
digging deep into our meat
the throbbing beat we feel
as we stand and we stare
he asks us all about her
the living cremains 
lying lame
remains 
of a skinless shriveled creature
once human
still human
subhuman
he tells us about her
from the edge of the stage screaming
through the eyes of these other humans
from the edge of the stage leering
from the mouths of others there
a sloppy joe of a person
a creature like no other
nothing real
like no one ever
the horror of simply being
and wondering why we're all 
still here