johnny looked out the window
it was getting dark
a cat ran down the street
followed by a dog
the dog was barking
the light went on in the house across the street
mom was cooking dinner
dad was smoking his pipe
sandy was doing her homework
johnny kept looking out the window
he was seething with desperation
he hated his life
until dinner was ready
dinner was mashed potatoes, green beans and hamburger helper
johnny did not care too much for green beans and hamburger helper
but he totally hated mashed potatoes
really, really hated them
dad knocked the ashes out of his pipe
and came over and sat down
with a long sigh the way he always did
and that johnny hated almost as much as he hated mashed potatoes
mom called out to sandy who was still doing her homework
sandy, dinner is ready
sandy left her book open on the table in the front parlor and placed her pencil vertically between the two open pages of the book
a practice which always irritated johnny
before entering the dining room and taking her place at the table sandy went to the front door and attempted to call the cat indoors by calling the words
here kitty, kitty
the cat was never addressed or referred to as kitty except by sandy every evening when she called it in this manner
this practice of sandy's also irritated johnny
especially as the cat hardly ever responded to the appeal - about one time in ten
on this occasion, as on so many, the cat did not appear
as johnny could have told sandy, because he had seen the cat being chased down the street by a dog
but he kept his own counsel
on this, as on so many other things
sandy was not at all perturbed by the cat's non-appearance
she closed the door without slamming it and
made her way to the dinner table where mom and dad and johnny were already seated
and where mom and dad had started eating in their methodical manner
and johnny was pushing his food around on his plate
and boiling with rage at a world which included mashed potatoes
johnny's brain was filled with words
words like
assholes buttfuckers cocksuckers dipshit dickheads enema head fuckface garbage pail homos idiot jackoffs don't know shit i want to get my gun get my 45 get my uzi get my ak-47 blow away your boring constipated dickhead
fuckface short eyed molester masturbator needledick pukeface faggot feminazi fuck all of you shiteating cocksuckers i'm going to get my gun and write you a little letter about the fun we are going to have
you are awful quiet tonight johnny, said dad with a little smile. what are you thinking about?
nothing
well, that doesn't sound very interesting. how about you, sandy, what are you thinking about?
i was thinking about a new project would like to do in school, if ms cartwright will approve it
hey that sounds interesting sandy, what exactly is this project?
i call it the spectrum project, and it will investigate the ways that humans, who are actually all the same, have been led to believe that they are different but that there are actually all sorts of links connecting them in one spectrum like a rainbow
so why not call it the rainbow project? asked dad
well um i have already done two of those. and the project will incorporate words, music, live performance and digital media -
led to believe by who, asked johnny
excuse me? sandy replied, surprised
humans have been led to believe they are different by who?
by the patriarchy and the priesthood, who else?
i thought it was by mashed potatoes
sandy rolled her eyes
ha ha very funny you and your pathetic sense of humor
now sandy, said mom, speaking for the first time since they started eating, don't make fun of johnny's sense of humor
that's right said dad, johnny and his sense of humor are part of the spectrum too, isn't that right?
yeah, i guess
johnny wanted to smash all their stupid grinning faces into the mashed potatoes with a fucking rocket launcher
ignorant slobbering gorilla blue balls down the highway white lights behind his eyeballs
did you say something johnny, dad asked
no
oh, said mom, i think i hear the dog at the door
i'll let him in said sandy
johnny stared at the mashed potatoes while sandy let the dog in
robbie! said sandy to the dog how nice of you to drop by
she said something like that or even stupider every time she let either the dog or the cat in
and she made fun of johnny's sense of humor
robbie bounded into the house wagging his tail
and barking
but nor very loud because he was a good dog
he was glad to be indoors
