The Lonesome Pigeon
By Zac Dunn
Art by Kid Koala
Published Issue 129, September 2024
One Hundred Pigeons by Kid Koala is acrylic & plastic eyes on canvas measuring 48″ x 48″ x 1.5″
The flock stalk in fluctuations upon
Filthy porous surfaces of perverse waste,
While fancy footwear clamoring by in flippant haste,
Tasting morsels of refuse we use to lose contents that make sense to rinse twice and cut once prior to exposure to flames and pearly whites …
Atop the KING’s coop on STAR ST. — who would rule over the high point of this island’s spread and said words on the ROOF — a young fighter named IRON MIKE was said to have come to my block many times to hold court with the KING. He would travel from BROWNSVILLE as many others would from all corners to seek his counsel and behold his sublime brood.
This KING has mostly returned as OBI-WAN did in pure SUBMISSION TO THE FORCE. But of course he could be still ticking and kicking out on VAN SICLEN AVE and FAR ROCK watching old shows on transistor tube sets that the orderly’s unplug but he always RESETS. The scene will play the SKY and NEWS and perhaps HERRIOT will turn up with an extra tub of apple sauce and speak of LADY SING THE BLUES. And orthopedic shoes play taps on LINOLEUM BASS DRUMS as whistling one-eye ELLE DRIVERS pile up higher than Bill’s families of folks still alive and empty out pockets and HEARTS.
BUT ALIVE OR IN REST, the crown upon STAR ST. that RAY speaks to me of is a BIRD FLU of good news. As he understands, I too am a pigeon who struts and pecks to pick up SPEX I spit back into peeping baby bird’s peeping hungry beaks, as the HOBO JUNGLE slithers like an AMOEBA afloat upon the PACIFIC expanse of endless liquid continuity from TONGA to PERTH to TASMANIA and NOME … where the woman eat SEALS and speak with EYE LIDS that gives subtle nuance to the dance to avoid the POLAR BEAR upon the ARTIC HEATH. The rains drops fall as we all remember a lad who was too mad and bad to stay in his coop and came to be set free by the KING here. It’s hard to say when last his feet stood upon that roof and asked his majesty of the LONELY PIGEON who was ready to be set free too. As the KING would always allow his folk to choose and never use a noose longer then his fingers could cast the FEED. For a kindly man named CUS D’AMATO had seen a thing in this lad he had to BET THE FARM on and allow this ruff tuff to breathe fresh air under a starry sky so far from the BRICK and CRIME. To become a legend and ascend a throne only a villain could seek or ever own.
SAY HI TO THE BAD GUY.
As the gavel smacks the stand and all RISE and EXHALE. A pigeon would be only as free as its belly of fuel will allow its wings to sing songs that claws use to mock the earth below. So into another COOP and another RISE and FALL and REDEMPTION of ALL.
Our eyes wander to the clouds and 747s slip by every 30 seconds of so. Perhaps his laps will lead him one day to return to the ROOF and place where he was allowed to behold the KING’S court … WARBLERS are urban PIGEON KEEPERS … keepers of wings create most disdain but remain as NEW YORK as PIZZA, BAGELS, BOOBIES and CRACK.
(In humble honor of the WARBLERS of NEW YORK and the mythical KING of this small faith who a young IRON MIKE TYSON was said to visit often. Mike would have been quite young but to bless our block with his heart and that of the respect for protecting our discarded scraps the LONELY PIGEON collects and shares with its friends … )
5:23 YARDIE HOD OGE 8.9.24.000003
Zac Dunn is a psycho-social mechanic, father, musician and dreamer. Check out his music and follow him on Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr.
Kid Koala is a performer, scratch DJ, film composer, theatre producer and visual artist. He’s toured with Radiohead, Arcade Fire, the Beastie Boys, Money Mark, A Tribe Called Quest, Mike Patton, Jack Johnson, DJ Shadow and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and collaborated with Deltron 3030, Gorillaz, Lovage, The Slew and the Afiara String Quartet. Kid Koala also creates unforgettable live shows ranging from touring turntable carnivals like Vinyl Vaudeville, to immersive multimedia shows like Nufonia Must Fall, The Storyville Mosquito, Satellite Turntable Orchestra and his Space Cadet Headphone Concert; each of which express his unique form of storytelling with music, animation, film and interactive entertainment. See more on his site | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Patreon
Check out Zac’s August piece, Octopus Eye, and Kid Koala’s, Anchovy 787, in case you missed it, or head to our Explore section to see more of their work.