Brickleberry Swede

Brickleberry Swede
© Surazeus
2024 01 18

The old blind man who paints dots on the fence 
asks the boy who constructs half-broken raft 
if he would carry him on his strong back 
so they can escape dank prison of clowns, 
but Brickleberry Swede laughs with the clock 
in trunk of the oak on the hill of bones. 

The one-eyed crone who gathers red mushrooms 
from alleyway behind the car garage 
asks the boy with the straw hat on his head 
if he might know the way to paradise, 
but Brickleberry Swede weeps for the girl 
murdered by her husband when she escaped. 

The round businessman in the pin-striped suit 
who calculates value of everything 
asks the boy who never wears shoes or socks 
to steal the lucky horseshoe of his wife, 
but Brickleberry Swede scrambles the bets 
so nobody wins when the horses race. 

The prim librarian in the purple skirt 
who hides books she stole in the empty tomb 
asks the boy who plays guitar with no strings 
if he would play chess with Death in her stead, 
but Brickleberry Swede helps free the slaves 
by singing holy hymns in church of fools. 

The logical twin brother of King Lear 
who formulates new unified field theory 
asks the boy who swings on vines among trees 
if he would rescue Rapunzel from jail, 
but Brickleberry Swede climbs Ararat 
to hear Noah lecture on hurricanes. 

The sweet twin sister of Queen Melusine 
who operates the water-treatment plant 
asks the boy who writes television shows 
if he would like to ride Bucephalus, 
but Brickleberry Swede drives army tank 
to demolish homes in Garden of Eden. 

The husband of the wicked witch of Oz 
who sells fake cryptocurrency to bankers 
asks the boy who tends his potato crop 
if he would vote for Zeus as president, 
but Brickleberry Swede drives truck with food 
for refugees driven from home by war. 

The wife of the dictator on the throne 
who embroiders demons on handkerchiefs 
asks the boy who writes novels about gods 
if he would make new mask for Artemis, 
but Brickleberry Swede goes home each night 
to watch old movies with his nameless wife.