(Original version published by Horror Sleaze Trash) … the new version is edited a bit
perusing the telephone singles
lines in the late nineties
listening to 20 second messages
from absolute strangers
a decade or more before
any dating sites existed
apps where pictures are seen and
locations are known beforehand
this was the Wild West
Russian roulette in a sense
a true fucking gamble
you went by voice and actually
had to trust that the person
on the other end was who
they said they were
I used to make actual lists
while on the phone with girls
as to why I shouldn’t be
talking to said girls
but occasionally
against my better judgement or
out of sheer desperation
I would meet these women
so after a little while on the phone
one night with a cute sounding girl
I got her address and headed her way
it was about a half hour drive
with vague directions
roughly a decade before
regular people had GPS
I was familiar with the area
so I had that going for me
as I made the left down the
dirt road into a trailer park
I started to get that
‘what the fuck are you doing?’ feeling
when I pulled up to the
dilapidated mobile home
I audibly said
“what the fuck am I doing?”
I soldiered on
I got out of my car and
walked toward the movable home
I passed piles of trash
dogs on chains and a
beat up El Camino on blocks
I knocked on the door
a dirty kid answered
I asked for, whoever
the dirty kid screamed out
“whoever, somebody’s here for you”
as I peered through the door
numerous inbred-looking faces
stared back at me in confusion
there must have been ten
people in that living room
finally she emerged
in all her glory
we locked eyes and
both gave each a once over
I was absolutely stunned
but the first thing
she said to me was
“you are bigger than I
thought you would be”
I was taken back
a little embarrassed
but also totally confused
because I couldn’t help
but notice the well defined
at least eight month
pregnant belly on her
I took a step back and said
“well that makes two of us”
Gloomy Forebodings 