From Animal Husbandry Today, published by ECW Press in 2012.

(Halfpenny Gate, 1920)A country priest lies in the middle of the road. He has lostsomething. The day passes unaware. It rained this morning:gemstones rest on cut wheat; the road’s a thousand lakes.Mud slowly claims the man’s frock and—half-dried—turns statuary. His resolve’s stiffened also; only eyes move,scanning inches ahead of him or beyond the horizon.(Avignon, 2007)White streamed off the canvas, hitting the woman in thestomach, seductive like rough foreplay. How many strokesof the painter’s hand had it taken? After placing a pinkphotocopy of her lips on the work she is tackled, in a lessalluring fashion, by the museum’s aging security guard.Restoration of the painting is priced at $2000.(New Jersey, 1984)It was half-past ten and already I’d made 46 Reubens,32 Po’ Boys, 19 Cheesesteaks, 12 Heros, 4 Tuna Melts,and a Dagwood. I was locked in this kitchen yesterdayand would be again tomorrow. Who creates a world wherefingers smell of mayonnaise and a living’s eked shillinganimals on leavened bread?(Montreal, 1975)A funny joke, given the predicament: “Take everything.There’s no safe behind the mantel’s painting.” The lastline delivered in faux-stutter. Despite being hogtied, theman exerts a measure of control by making the intruderlook. The man’s wife shakes her gagged head. The burglardoes her one better, by kicking the comic in the stomach.Everyone’s a critic.(New Jersey, 1984)“I want to create something evocative and pointless.”The journalist’s cassette recorder spins noisily, struggling tocommit this to memory. “These images accumulate in mymind and I sweep them into the collective’s consciousness.”The journalist nods vigorously while contemplating whatto get at the sandwich shop next door.(Paris, 1940)The city leaked its contents into the countryside; withmost thoroughfares reduced to one lane, the pandemoniumcommenced at ten kilometres per hour. As a last line ofdefence, we stood awaiting what had toppled hundredsof thousands and bypassed our precious Maginot Line.We protected the people, surely, but also the symbol ofParis (which would shortly signify something else).