amidst the serpentine slabs and toy pyramids littering his workplace floor, i eyed an unfinished manuscript on his desk entitled "Childhood Memories of Non-Corporeal Companions." the table of contents listed chapters titled after the categories of invisible companions. they were:

1.) Invizikids: "who look like ordinary children from the culture in which they appear."

2.) Elementals: "who appear in rural settings, typically between 30-50 inches in height and resembling goblins or elves."

3.) Animals: "which appear as conventionally sized creatures which can converse in the child's language and on occasion be heard by third parties."

4.) The Wackies: "a class which is further subdivided into 'Sages' and 'Animates.'
a.) 'Sages' appear in exotic dress and often belong to a different culture (native americans, buddha figures, etc). they dispense advice and wisdom to the child.
b.) 'Animates' appear to be household objects which grow human-like limbs (though rarely heads) and may leave behind small gifts.

the manuscript was left unfinished as was/is this story.

"cinnabar hills" (2009)
ted houghtaling

playful elephants - riverbed marshes

habitation for summering mists, mangroves

river boat journeys sailing past abandoned villages

we were forbidden to dig for minerals along the coast for fear of inciting the ire of the remaining natives.

snatches of sounds from the beechwood
distant emanations further out
impressions of winding tobacco roads
red clay cinnabar
deep soil, old sediment
hidden caches of fossils, patient and silent

last embers
a music like falling asleep on a motorway

"hush! caution! echoland!" (2009)
ted houghtaling

baculum

"baculum" (2009)
ted houghtaling

under the volcano

"under the volcano" (final version) (2009)
ted houghtaling

the collected works of ted houghtaling