Dec '02 [Home]

Short Prose

What Remained
Ian Randall Wilson

    After A.H.


On those days when Ladron snatched a purse, he made sure to stop by his mother's house and share a few dollars with her. Then, with what remained of the day, he would go to the Rampart's police station not far from his apartment and stand across the street chanting, "Film noir, film noir, film noir."
          On those days when Ladron got really drunk, he always stopped at the corner store and bought homeless Ed outside a bottle of MD20/20. Then, with what remained of the day, he would go to his father's house and stand in the back alley chanting, "Moses, Moses, Moses."
          On those days when Ladron cut himself, he would find a walker in the park and use his razor. Then, with what remained of the day, he would stand in front of his mirror chanting, "All good boys go to heaven, All good boys go to heaven."
          And in this way, he made a life, some might say.


(Ian Randall Wilson edits the poetry journal, 88. Recent work has appeared in the North American Review and the Mid-American Review. His first fiction collection, Hunger and Other Stories, was published by Hollyridge Press. He is on the faculty at the UCLA Extension, and an executive at MGM Studios. This is his first contribution to the magazine.)