He's Karate-Chop Jones. He can feel the vorpal blade. He can do the snicker-snack. Apple-stand man is on the sidey-walk. Karate-Chop got the apple. He can pull the brownish stem. He can feel the so-white mush. He can walk away, away. He can talk the jabberwock.

He's Karate-Chop Jones. He can do the manly strut. He can slap the high-five. He can talk 'lectric jive. Walk then strut through the door. Look out brother. Karate-Chop got sixty-two. Karate-Chop is a thirsty Jones. He can buy the Mountain Dew. He can pay the government tax. He can pop it open. Drink it, swallow it, like it, love it. Karate-Chop Jones is a satisfied man.

He's Karate-Chop Jones. He can do the karate-chop. He can see the waste basket. He never been no litterbug. The apple-core makes thumpin' noise. Karate knows that somethin' wrong. Apple man is on his feet. Police-cop at the apple stand. Apple man got pointing hand. Jones can do the karate-chop.

Cops are running with big flat feet. People diving off the street. Jones is on the sidey-walk. Can he do the karate-chop? Snicker-snack and jabberwock? Arriving first cop number one. Karate-chop, cop is on the sidey-walk. Number two draws the gun. Vorpal blade is too short. Karate-Chop against the wall. His dad was gone. His mother small. Karate-Chop got a sister, too. Handcuffs on the choppin' wrist. Invisible apple fist. Apple man, you goin' down. Save it fo' the judge.

He's Karate-Chop Jones.

Asteriks, asteriks, asteriks.

He's Karate-Chop Jones. He can see Willie Twice. Twice is wearing the jacket white. Twice can dance nice all night. Twice is drinking the Mountain Dew. Willie Twice slurps and says Hey Jones, Karate-Chop! Jones can grin. Jones can jingle sixty-two in his pocket. He can slap the high five.

Willie Twice slurps the can. Twice says Hey my man. Hear you hit a liqour store. Slap me five. What was the score. Karate-Chop can look at his half-gone apple. Jones can say It went down smooth. One more time, get a jacket white. One more time, dance nice all night. Shuffle jive the jabberwock. Bite into his apple.

He was Karate-Chop Jones. He could do the karate-chop. He walked into the deserted store. Told the liqour man to get on the floor. But first open the register.

Karate-Chop Jones, you have the gun.

I can do the karate-chop.

Jones, you got the black-jack black.

I can do the snicker-snack.

Jones, slap me five.

Liqour-man opened the register. Karate-Chop stood on his back. Grabbed the cash and said stand up. Then he did the karate-chop. Vorpal blade said get back down. Walked back out and said good night.

Jones, you said good night to the man.

I can talk the jabberwock.

Slap me five. What if you get caught.

No weapon, Twice. Max two months.

He's Karate-Chop Jones. He can roll the sixty-two. He can buy the Mountain Dew. He can pay the government tax. Mountain Dew and a n'apple.

What color was the liqour man, Jones.

White.

Where'd you get that apple.

Apple man.

He got other fruit.

Oranges.

How much.

I can do the Karate-Chop.

You smooth, Chop. Slap me five.

He's Karate-Chop Jones. He can drink the Mountain Dew. Willie can shake his head and grin. Jones can finish his apple. He can get respect from Twice. Karate-Chop Jones is a satisfied man.

Asteriks, asteriks, asteriks.

He's Karate-Chop Jones. He can smell the jail-cell stink. Stink so bad he can't think. Listening to Moses. Moses got the great big beard. Moses walks around the cell. Kicks the drunks. Tells the hell. Jones looks through the bars. He wants another Mountain Dew. He can get another sixty-two. When they let him out.

Moses stops walking. He says Who are you.

I'm Karate Chop Jones mother fucker.

Moses says Why you here.

Apple man tried to scratch my car. Got himself the karate-chop. Police-cops six and police-dogs two. Chopped up four before they pulled the gun.

Moses says Bullshit.

Fuck you.

Moses sits down. Karate can smell the great big beard. I been here more time than you. You stink like a lyin' fool. But I won't tell. Gimme cigarette.

Karate Chop got no cigarette. He can tell Moses. I got none. But if I did, I would give 'em to you. I can't stand that shit.

You smooth, Chop.

Jones can see the police-cop man. Got his fat blue hat and his flat black shoes. Karate can hear the cop. Mo, you better shut up. We ain't never gonna let you out, Mo, 'less you shut up fo' a while.

Kiss my ass, blue.

You K.C. Jones.

I'm Karate-Chop.

Bail motherfucker. Out.

Karate can slap five fo' Moses. He can say Hang, bro'.

Boy in blue says I wish you woulda tried that karate shit on me.

Jones can think I wish it, too.

Ain't no karate can beat a billy club.

Jones can think What about the snicker snack.

Or a thirty-eight special.

What about the vorpal blade.

You listenin' to me.

Chop can see his sister Jean. He can talk the jabberwock. He can see his angry sister. He can say Hey.

Shut up K.C.

asteriks, asteriks, asteriks

Karate Chop Jones can rememember his Dad. Chop's old man was a real smooth cat. Taught Chop 'bout life and all of that. Took him to the sidey-walk. Showed him to the apple stand. K.C.'s dad was an educated Jones. One day, little K.C was going out to play.

C'mere, boy, going to teach you something.

I can't dad, I got to go play.

C'mere, I said. Time to learn. Time to learn the chop, karate.

Yassuh.

Mr. Jones showed him the snicker snack. Little K.C can see the blood.

Ouch, daddy.

Did you see that, boy?

Yassuh.

Think you can do that?

I can try.

Try it, then.

Little K.C. can do the snicker snack.

That's it, boy. Now try this. He showed him the vorpal blade.

Little K.C. can feel his stomach explode.

Don't cry. boy, just try the blade.

Little K.C. can put pepper on it.

That's it, boy! Now go and play.

Little K.C had to change friends that day. Had to use the Jabberwock

asteriks, asteriks, asteriks

Karate chop is on the bus. He can talk the jabberwock. Hey man, give us those seats. I got to sit down. I got to sit next to my sister.

The little old lady's got the flower print hat. She's got a bag of food for the cat. She smells like she's about to die. She smiles at Jones and his sister. Mine is the next stop.

Jabberwock didn't work. But K.C. Jones ain't no jerk. Snicker-snack? Vorpal blade?

Don't. K.C.

Why?

Who's gonna feed her cats?

Next stop came. Jones can remember his educated dad. He can use the vocab big. Don't matter now. It's academic.

You weird, K.C.

Shut up and sit.

K.C can sit next to the window. He can see the traffic, light. We ought to get us a car.

K.C. we don't got no cash fo' no car.

Then how you bail me out?

Momma gave me that.

Jones can look at his sister. No way, that was dad's cash.

K.C.

He left her that so he could go.

K.C., you so stupid.

I'm going back. That's daddy's cash.

That wasn't ever yo daddy's cash.

He left her that cause he had to split. Jones can yell at the bus drivin' man. Turn around, motherfucker.

Damnit K.C. he never left her no cash. She just tol' you that.

Don't make me do the karate chop.

He ran off when you was six years old.

You wanna see the snicker-snack?

Momma gets that from the government man.

Government man don't send enough for bail.

Momma's been saving.

You a liar. You stink like a liar. You gonna see the vorpal blade, now.

Momma could save more if you got a job, K.C. Jones, stupid motherfucker.

Karate Chop Jones can jump back twice. His sister never talked not nice. He can wonder if she must be true. He can wonder if he ain't, too. Maybe he ain't true.

K.C. Jones can look out the window bus. He can see the apple stand. He can see the liqour store. He can wonder.

What the hell's a karate chop? The snicker snack? The Jabberwock.

They get off the bus at they stop. Thye walk back to where they live. K.C, sis, and momma.

Is momma still sick?

She got the flu.

asteriks, asteriks, asteriks

He ain't little K.C. no mo'. He's Karate Chop Jones. He can sit with his back straight and tall. He can look, down the hall. Lookin' for the principal. Lookin' for his momma.

Assistant Prin is talkin' jive. Why you hit that boy, K.C.?

Didn't hit him, that was a chop.

Why you do that, slap his face?

Snicker-snack, I told you twice.

You can't hit folks, K.C., we'll kick you out.

Got to use the vorpal blade.

No education, you'll be a foo'.

He started it, Assis Prin.

He hit you first?

No, he said I was on the welfare.

So you hit him.

I don't like that Jabberwock.

No reason to hit him.

He was yelling it at the other kids.

Karate Chop Jones can see his momma walk in with the principal. The man is about six feet two. His momma is about five feet one.

Whatchoo do, boy?

They said we was on the welfare, momma.

K.C.'s mom tried to stand tall. We are not, Principal Tan. My late husband left us enough to survive on.

That's fine, Mrs. Jones, but we can't have young K.C.-

Call me Karate Chop.

Shut yo mouth, K.C. Fo' I shut it fo' you.

Dad left me the snicker snack, K.C thought.

We can't allow your son to strike the other children.

We ain't children, we kids.

I said shut up, K.C.

Don't know the jabberwock, K.C. thought. Maybe you need to see the vorpal blade.

You hear me boy?

Yes'm.

I'll teach him to behave, Principal Tan.

Call me Jerry, Mrs. Jones.

And you teach them other kids to quite teasing folks.

Point taken, Mrs. Jones.

Let's go, K.C. You in trouble.

Yes'm

asteriks asteriks asteriks

He's Karate Chop Jones. He could do the karate chop, he could feel the vorpal blade. He could do the snicker snack. Give you five. Take it back. But Jones is looking at his momma.

You still sick?

Shu'p K.C. Lemme die.

You ain't gonna die, momma.

Lemme die, foo'.

Jus' the flu.

Go on.

He's Karate Chop Jones. He can smell the doom and gloom. He can leave the little room. He can just get out. But first, he checks someting in the closet.

Sidey-walk. Apple stand. Jones ain't bored. He got a plan.

Hey Jones.

Hey Twice.

Heard you hit the cell, Jones, Karate Chop!

That's right.

Wha' fo'?

Bein' a foo.

Jones, you the man.

I can talk the Jabberwock.

Where you goin' now?

I'm goin' back.

What fo' now?

I ain't a foo' no mo'. And I ain't Karate Chop no mo', neitha'.

But you still the man.

And you still Twice.

Allright.

Jones can watch Willie walk away. He can still admire that bad-ass sway. Can still wish for the jacket white. Can still wish to dance all night. But he got other plans.

K.C. Jones can see the apple stand. He can see the apple man.

You! How did you get out?

Bail, motherfucker.

I'll call the cops!

Karate chop, last one. Last snickersnack. Last vorpal blade.

You better call, then, apple-stand man.

But the police-cops blue is already there. Hands up, Chop.

I ain't Karate Chop, I'm K.C. He can stick his hand in his pocket. Drop yo' 38. Drop 'em or I'll make you late.

Shit, Chop's got a gun.

I ain't Chop, motherfucker. Jones can open fire. Miss the police-cops. They just doin' they job.

They can fire back. Jones can feel his shoulder go. Jones falls down. Gets shot some mo'. He tosses away the cap.

Shit, K.C., where'd you get that gun?

Dad didn't leave just nothing, I guess. Jones can't laugh, but he can try. Am I dead, motherfucker?

Naw Jones, you gonna be alright. But you goin' t' jail.

Good. I can talk the jabberwock. They feed me there, right?

Shut up Jones, you bleedin' too much.

They got the Mountain Dew, right?

Be quiet, now.

And no government tax.