“The Locomotion Gets Loco” © Edward Michael Supranowicz

 

Hangover Gets Worse

Five.

Guys.

One.

Gallon.

Cheap.

Red.

Wine.

One.

Sixpack.

Beer.

One.

Bottle.

Vodka.

Mix.

It.

Equals:

A.

Bad.

Hangover.

—

Monday.

AM.

Rewriting.

Press.

Releases.

Phone.

Rings.

Sound.

Bores.

A.

Tunnel.

Through.

My.

Skull.

I.

Almost.

Vomit.

—

“Hello.”

“Carmel.”

“Bureau.”

—

“Stevie.”

“Di Stefano.”

“My.”

Favorite.”

“Loser.”

—

It’s.

Eddie.

The.

Prick.

Metro.

Editor.

In.

White.

Plains.

—

“Aways.”

“A.”

“Pleasure.”

“To.”

“Hear.”

“From.”

“You.”

“Eddie.”

—

”Did.”

“You.”

“See?”

“Tommy.”

“Girardi.”

“Got.”

“Off?”

“The.”

“Hook.”

“Got.”

“The.”

“Indictment.”

“Squashed.”

—

“I.”

“Think.”

“You.”

“Mean.”

“Quashed.”

“Eddie.”

—

“Squashed!”

“Quashed!”

“Who!”

“Cares!”

—

“No.”

“I.”

“Didn’t”

“See.”

“It.”

—

“It.”

“Was.”

“Only.”

“Buried.”

Today.

“On.”

“Page.”

“One.”

—

“I.”

“Was.”

“In.”

“A.”

“Hurry.”

—

“Bullshit!”

“Probably.”

“Hung.”

“Over.”

“Again!”

—

“Now!”

“Listen!”

“Up!”

“The.”

“Hook’s”

“Having.”

“A.”

“Big.”

“Party.”

“Some.”

“Mafia.”

“Hatchery.”

“On.”

“Peach.”

“Lake.”

“Ever.”

“Hear.”

“Of.”

“It?”

—

“Uh.”

“Route.”

“121?”

—

“That’s”

“Right!”

“100”

“Peach.”

“Lake”

“Road.”

“And.”

“I.”

“Want.”

“You.”

“There.”

“Tomorrow,”

“Noon.”

“Interview.”

“This.”

“Wop.”

“Asshole.”

“And.”

“His.”

“Guinea.”

“Buddies.”

“Great.”

“Assignment!”

“Huh?”

—

“Eddie.”

“Are.”

“You.”

“Aware.”

“That.”

“I’m”

“Italian?”

—

“Yes.”

“I.”

“Am!”

“And.”

“That’s”

“Why.”

“You’re.”

“Getting.”

“This.”

“Job.”

“You.”

“Can.”

“Talk.”

“Ginzo.”

“With.”

“Them.”

—

“I.”

“Think.”

“A.”

“Metro.”

“Reporter.”

—

“No!”

“You!”

“And.”

“Be.”

“Careful.”

“The.”

“Hook’s.”

“Daughter.”

“This.”

“Gee Gee.”

“Will.”

“Likely,”

“Be.”

“There.”

“She’s”

“As.”

“Psycho.”

“As.”

“The.”

“Old.”

“Man.”

“Got.”

“A.”

“High.”

“School.”

“Counselor.”

“Fired.”

“In.”

“A.”

“Sex.”

“Thing.”

“Then.”

“Some”

“Gombahs.”

“Beat.”

“The.”

“Piss.”

“Otta.”

“Him.”

“She.”

“Likes.”

“To.”

“See.”

“The.”

“Blood.”

“And.”

“Hear.”

“The.”

“Screams.”

“And!”

“She.”

“Gave.”

“The.”

“Guy.”

“The.”

“Clap.”

—

“She.”

“Had.”

“The.”

“Clap?”

—

“She.”

“Did.”

“Paisano.”

“Why?”

“You.”

“Wanna.”

“Put.”

“The.”

“Make.”

“On.”

“Her.”

“With.”

“Your.”

“Olive.”

“Oil.”

“Charm?”

—

“And.”

“Speaking.”

“Of.”

“Charm.”

“We’ll.”

“Need.”

“Art.”

“For.”

“The.”

“Story.”

“So.”

“I’m”

“Assigning.”

“Your..”

“Little.”

“Photographer”

“Girlfriend.”

“Natasha.”

—

“Jesus!”

—

“No!”

“Jesus.”

“Can’t.”

“Help.”

“You.”

“Now!”

“I.”

“Want”

“Her.”

“To.”

“See.”

“You.”

“Mumble.”

“And.”

“Stumble.”

“And.”

“Piss.”

“Your.”

“Pants.”

“When.”

“You.”

“Try.”

“To.”

“Get.”

“Something.”

Outta.”

“The.”

“Hook.”

—

“And.”

“Stevie.”

—

This.

With.

Glee.

—

“Wanna.”

“Know.”

“Why.”

“They.”

“Call.”

“Tommy.”

“The.”

“Hook?”

 

Charles R. Vermilyea Jr. lives in Mansfield, Conn., with his little dog, Tino. Vermilyea is a retired Hartford Courant news copy editor. B.A. English/history, University of Connecticut (1967). Army veteran, 2/10 Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers (Korea, 1962/63). Son Jon, an artist. Daughter Elizabeth, an actress.

Edward Michael Supranowicz is the grandson of Irish and Russian/Ukrainian immigrants. He grew up on a small farm in Appalachia. He has a grad background in painting and printmaking. Some of his artwork has recently or will soon appear in Fish Food, Streetlight, Another Chicago Magazine, The Door Is A Jar, The Phoenix, and The Harvard Advocate. Edward is also a published poet who has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize multiple times.