'it's a long way down'
My uncle darryl
Told me in his
Boxers an
Worn tee
He had been
A pastor
At the local
Church, lived
In the valley
w/wife, kids
Was working
His way up the
Church ladder
Things were
Looking pretty
Sweet
Then uncle
Darryl slipped
Up
He fucked the
19 yr old
Granddaughter
Of a church
Mother and
Once the coke
Habit got
Around…now
He’s here in
A beat to shit
Place in Inglewood
Not to far from
My beat to shit
Place in E. Hollywood
When uncle darryl
Lived in the valley
We didn’t see each
Other much but
I got a x-mas
Card every year
w/a candy cane
‘that was yr aunt
Fran’s doing I
didn’t give a
Shit about x-mas’
Uncle darryl said
Spoken like
A true Evans
Now I was
In Inglewood
Watching my
Uncle stare at
The walls
Sometimes
Cutting fat
Rails snorting
Them up
‘it’s a long
Way down
James’ he’d
Say
I’d nod maybe
Do a line sip
My drink and
Think about
Where he’d
Live if he
Goes any
Further down
Probably
Somewhere
Near
San
Bernardino
Taped to it
___
Demond Blake was born in Las Vegas in 1979. He moved to Los Angeles in the 80s and spent his childhood moving from my parents in LA, my grandparents in Las Vegas and my Uncle's in Manhattan. After graduating high school he briefly enrolled at Redlands University and wrote his first book, 'Limbo,' which sold copies at campuses around Southern California pricing the book to just recoup printing costs. He feels he has something to say about his generation as a whole and his new book 'Slackass' is the result. It's prequel, 'Sputnik,' is in the works while he is still seeking publication for 'Slackass.'
