cafe shabu

welcome to the cafe shabu. permit me to introduce you to some of our regulars. starting on my immediate left

ladies and gentlemen

here in cafe shabu

you'll note a poet

a man of words by trade. and yes

that's a refugee from an unnamed political philosophy

come here to spread his message of joy and peace amongst us. thank you very much sir. over here

next to him we see a lady who has traded in a lifestyle of the rich and famous for work with underprivileged and exceptional children which i am sure makes her very pleased with herself

ladies and gentlemen. sitting next to her a man of letters and words and moods. a man who spent most of his life deceiving himself and now finds himself facing six years in rehabilitation prison and a death sentence on the outside. sitting next to him on a banquette

a ballerina. she's had two grapes

a raisin

and a chicklet

and she's full. in fact

she's been stuffed for years. next to her are two spinsters knitting their way in and out of various predicaments coloured by the excesses of their ancestors. and close by them

some surreal painter's brooding over the very over-emphasis of colour-violence. violence on the blue end of the scale. next to them

two off-duty detectives checking each other out. next door to the sugarholics

see them shivering

see them staring into the distance

see them growing

oh

see them go comatose. insulin please

maitre d'! on my immediate right several politicians smiling lizard-like

see them assure themselves that their status is indeed quo

rip up the cheques said the maitre d'. see if i care. i do this for the company. i've got no-one to trust any secrets to but myself. in the basement

in the vault

in the attic on the walls are the pictures i take in part-payment for my time. and the waitress reminds you that in the backroom bathed in red

glowing with the speed of light that reflects the demands of the living for the dead

are our angels

a host at your service to meet your every need. so order up

the waitress said. our great cafe serves everything