"incident on stock island" (wayne kramer)

(litografia de Vito Acconci, "Approved - But Don't Be Fooled, This Is a Message from the American Lover", 1977)

"I was working in this cabinet shop on Stock Island
listening to the new Aaron Neville tape.
It was one of those sticky hot summer days.
Suddenly I hear loud angry voices just outside the window.
Kenny! Hold up! Dont do this!
Kennys saying, That motherfucker says I cheated him!
Kenny and his brother Vince come flying thru the window,
eyes blazing, out of control.
Kennys running to the rear of the shop
with Vince right behind him
screaming, Stop! Kenny, stop!
Kenny crashes into the office and jumps on Franklin,
he's an electrician we share shop space with.
Theyre all screaming.
Vince physically restrains his brother
and they both leave the office.
Kennys beside himself with anger.
Vince says
next time, I'm gonna let him kick Franklins ass.
Kenny is still hot and punches out a couple of cabinets.
Vince takes Kenny for a ride in his pickup to cool him off.

Halfhour later, Franklins getting into his stepvan
when Kenny walks up and begins to apologize for going off earlier.
Vince and I are watching from about 30 feet away
out in the hot, tropical sun.
I cant hear what Kennys saying
but I can tell by his body language that hes getting upset.
Franklin starts saying, Fuck you, Kenny, fuck you.
Franklin lets the clutch out a bit and pulls up a few feet
and then says Fuck you, Kenny, fuck you!

I say to Vince, Why dont he just drive on away?

Kenny reaches up in Franklins truck, grabs him by the shirt,
and Franklin's still saying, Fuck you, Kenny!
And Kenny pulls Franklin outta his truck
and slams him down in the dirt,
and Kenny blasts Franklin
three or four very hard hooks to the head,
and Franklin's getting up but Kenny throws an upper cut
that has hospital written all over it.
Yeah, it had hospital written all over it!

Kenny stops and realizes how bad all this is
and says, Fuck this shit and gets in his truck and leaves.
And Franklin, his face is starting to swell up
like an eggplant.
And he walks past me and Vince and says,
thanks a lot, you dickheads.

I still cant figure out why he didnt just drive on away?
So I get some ice for Franklins face
and he calls the cops
and we all have to give statements
and I wasnt proud of any of us." (1)


(1) retirado do cd de wayne kramer, the hard stuff (1995)