Monday, June 15, 2009

Pulp Poem of the Week



I had seen
so many houses burned down,
so many cars wrecked,
so man corpses
with blue holes in their temples,
so many awful things
that people had pulled
to crook the wheel,
that that stuff didn't seem real
to me any more.
If you don't understand that,
go to Monte Carlo
or some other place
where there's a big casino,
sit at a table,
and watch the face of the man
that spins the little ivory ball.
After you've watched it a while,
ask yourself how much
he would care
if you went out and
plugged yourself in the head.
His eyes might drop
when he heard the shot,
but it wouldn't be from worry
whether you lived or died.
It would be to make sure
you didn't leave
a bet on the table,
that he would have to cash
for your estate.
James M. Cain
Double Indemnity
1936

No comments:

Post a Comment