by Deborah Levy
i would have to come to the angelic conclusion
that if i was to imitate the acts of human beings
i would have to imitate her not as she is
but as she could be
He
Erm … I find your
Angelic hips alienating.
You thrash about in some bedlam
For the winged and divine
Forgetting you have a mortal
On your knee. My moustache is
Full of froth. I don’t understand
Say again what you said?
she
i said nothing
i said nothing
i said looking
down into the suburbs
and beyond
i saw
sad stars fall
like halos
on men and women
howling into the damp crease of their past
i saw first worlds
blister the skin
of other worlds
zebras
gallop through
burning suns to
the shade of long
grasses, and
somewhere else, love
affairs in old hotels
with balconies
i saw beggars beg
in every language children fear
death in every language
and i saw you
weeping on your doormat
decided to become
a commuter
between heaven
and
the suburbs of hell
you seemed like a good
sort of man
an accountant
with culinary tendencies
tho’ lacking in charisma
(look at your tie)
the task
to
bring you
into
the light
and dark
of uncertainty
the two great themes
of classical science
chaos
and
order
undressing and
dressing and
cross dressing and
overdressing and
addressing envelopes
He
Sounds like hard work
To me
I like plain shampoos
Soaps
Ecologically sound
Detergents
One hundred per cent
Wool
Good strong tea
Olive oil (budget permitting)
I like the light
To be just light
And the dark
To just be dark
I do not wish to live in a grey area
Or to read between the lines
Love must start on the first line
Continue on every line
No line without love
And then she marries me
That is my wish
she
get off my knee
stanley …
now!
i try to introduce you
to the way i see things
and all you want is a wife
a wife and a second-class stamp and a bath
a bath and a donut and a product to kill moths
He
You’re just a totalitarian angel
Full of self-rapture
I thought you were a divine messenger
In fact you’re a glutton
With wings
she
you are suburbia’s satisfied son
i came to you
naked
glittering
flew through a chernobyl storm
above the pripyat river and its seven left tributaries
pina, yaselda, tsna, lan, sluch, ptsich, braginka
to find your microwave dreaming of you
yes dreaming of you
kneeling in a nuclear forest
gathering mushrooms in lithuania
pinging
pinging
pinging
dreaming in stainless steel for you
He
You came to me
At the moment
I did battle with my soul
And found myself
Weeping on the doormat
Journeyed through
The storm in my heart
To heal the wounded
And yet the healer
Is more wounded than myself.
Your discontent
Has shattered
My double glazing
Twice
Who taught you
To behave like that?
This is a gentle place
With ancient trees
And often blossom
Go away
And don’t come back
Fuck off
Out of my easily
Satisfied arms.
she
so cruel you are
secretly. untangle
this bird caught
in my hair. it blew
in from somewhere
made me yearn
for hugs and
boat rides
i’ve got all plump
from lack of euphoria.
He
Ha!
Despite your sizzling proclamations
I am happier than you
Though you despise me for it
I listen to the weather forecast
Enjoy peaceful walks
In appropriate clothing
Sleep well at night
Do I need you?
Though flattered to be visited by an angel
With a mission
I prefer talking to my postman
His name is Shivadhar
In winter he wears a black beanie
With a bobble and I want one
In blue.
Tonight
I will eat
Pad Thai and drink
Singha beer
With my brother
Grateful
For small pleasures
We can share
All the while
Glad to be sure
The sun will always set in the West
And dusk settle over this suburb of bankrupt councils
Retail click-and-collect centres
Mental health tribunals
And me
And Shivadhar
And my brother.
Did you say you can hear a frog
Splashing at the end of the world?
she
i said nothing
i said something
i said never talk to the hand
when you have an angel
perched on your wrist
you are a human subject
living and furious
architect of your own paradise
on this grave earth
of splendid contraries
it’s been a pleasure
to know you
and then know
you a little bit more
fry me a sardine
the wind is blowing
i’ll be off.
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