the grifters

[constantine]

there's those that take
and those that get took
with lots of overlap in between
worked the short and the long
the angles of a weird geometry
played it like a jukebox
for nickles and dimes
threw on the cut
for the quick turnover
nothing is as it should be
everything's back to normal
can't tell the difference
fucked already, didn't matter
they were going to do the same
it's not like i invented it
i just embraced it, called it my own
added a few numbers, wrinkles
on the glad hand, thick
slab of cheese on a hothouse tomato
they never see it coming
but it always does


in memory of jim thompson

[Lightning Rod]

this is so pulp fiction dino

popular wisdom has it that you can't con a con
this is a myth of course
a con is the absolute easiest person to con
he already has larceny in his heart
and his profession is convincing himself

[constantine]

thanks clay. thompson's one of my favorite noir writers. he did a couple of screenplays for kubrick - paths of glory and the killing, both of which are pretty impressive.