You are for me a UFO
who sped across my sky at night,
landed in my garden and
loved me at the speed of light.
Now I am your satellite.
The day before
In my mind it’s always the day before. The sun was sunny, the grass was green, you said ‘I love you’ and it didn’t sound strange.
Metamorphosis
Insect to human was harder. No matter the warmth of smile and hands, heart remained ice. Sal sensed it early but saw it too late.
No invisible sheep
That dog darting across the street, ears back, nose low – you must have seen it? No, there were no invisible sheep (that I saw), but the dog, all black and white as you’d expect, cut across the road when there was no traffic and disappeared down that alley. Why would I imagine it? It’s not a miracle or a hangover from evening parties. It’s just a dog that crossed the street. With no invisible sheep. Don’t doubt me.
Castle
Excuse?
Yes?
Excuse….
Yes?
Where is castle?
Where’s the castle you mean.
Sorry, mean?
Where’s the castle.
Yes, castle where is?
No. Where is THE castle?
I don’t know. Where?
There, look. It’s there on the volcano. It’s the Queen’s. Look at the flag.
Why you let unelected unaccountable monarchy rule over you?
Port
“Port wine is red and port has four letters like left.” For five years, Mick didn’t swim out to where Grandad’s boat had gone down.
Travel
Travel broadened Kayn’s mind, mountains and oceans, tropics and poles, but he still missed the bus that night. Mabel did not wait.
Sisyphus’s rock
Sisyphus’s rock rolled down again. He cursed the thinkers. Each time a meaning was given to the rock – knowledge? love? – it fell.
Olfaction
Since the physician-induced coma following the second stabbing, the only smell I can distinguish is that of jasmine. How precise and pernickety our nerves and brain cells must be, that the odours and flavours of rose, of dog rose, of honeysuckle and of tiny wild orchid are all lost to me but jasmine remains. And grades of jasmine at that – how long it has been open, the time of the day, whether it has been shaken or lightly crushed, all of these make a difference. How wonderful are our brains; how wonderful the shades of jasmine.
Machine
The heart is a pump, OK. Arms, legs, OK, they’re levers, I’ve got that. But the spark, the spark that sparks the machine? You know.
simonsalento 