GEORGE ANTONAKOS

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UNITS

The crazy lady she's manically depressed,
needs incontinence diapers.
She's always knocking on doors
bludging cups of tea and cigarettes.
She acts just like a little girl
but she can growl and curse.
She calls the ambulance four times a week
when she's hanging for a smoke
and everything looks bleak.

The fat man watches kiddie porn,
answers the door naked.
He puts ads into the personals
seeking women as a cover.
Says he's slim to medium build,
throws good looking in with that.
He is a reverse anorexic.
In the mirror he doesn't see
22 stone of fat.

He joins a volunteer service
that includes a fit to size uniform.
Important member of the community.
Another cover.

The burnt man thinks he's sent
by God to look after everyone.
Shephard for the aimless flock,
the first sight of him is a shock

He fell asleep chanting mantras
in his candle lit teepee.
A sharman and a warlock,
wise pillar of mankind.
The candles lit the teepee,
the flames licked him to hell.
With his skin went his mind.

Rebirthed ego hard as steel.
Phoenix rising from the trailer trash.
Ferrari with eastern mysticism at the wheel.
Months in recovery smoking hash.

Inside he watches behind his curtains
the people come and go.
Outside he tells them where they can park,
asks who they want to see.
Self appointed building supervisor.
Holy hallway monitor,
God's janitor as well.

The thin man is a few brain cells short,
thinks he is important.
He also joins a volunteer group
but with an off the shelf uniform.

He talks to the elderly ladies,
they need their TVs tuned,
their curtains hung.
He puts his arm around them
"Is there anything I can do for you?
don't be too shy to ask."

The thin man visits the fat man,
they begin to giggle.
Door left slightly open.
"Don't touch me there.
don't touch me there."

The little man he wears a hat
and wrap around sunglasses.
Sits out the front
counting cars.
Works for the CIA.
The TV aerials are sending out
brain washing waves.
The council is putting
brain washing chemicals
into the drinking water.
He knows all this and there's more to say
that's why he works for the CIA.

The drunk man is quite friendly
but always stinks of booze.
He knows his life is a curse.
He makes love to the crazy lady.
One hand on her breast,
the other in her purse.

The drunken woman by day she is quite nice,
at night she screams abuse,
bashes doors and walls.
Can't remember the night before
when she was on her bender.
So she makes lentil soup to take to neighbours.
Temporary guilt,
permanent lost weekender.

The quiet old man watches TV sports
drinking beer as he waits to die
surrounded by photos on the wall
of his wife gone long ago.

The psycho woman she throws stones
at boys riding by on bikes.
Shoulder charges and verbal abuses,
there's nothing the police can do.
Keeps her taps running night and day
since the snakes are coming up the drains.
If only with such dedication
she'd always take her medication.

The shabby old man stands
too close to the ladies.
Talks about his trouser snake,
how he can still make babies.
It's hullo gorgeous this,
it's hullo gorgeous that
"I've got a frozen pizza at home
want to heat it for me
and we'll have a chat?"