what happened my pretty that
december when we lived like jet
setters in gordons bay in that
warm overpriced flat over
the portofino ice cream parlour with a
view of the quay
& the wind that incessantly ooh ooh blew
& your long cream calico curtains waving by bye like hands
through the window
& that letter from someone from somewhere in my
hand & the wind that turned toward the dusk of the
sea to the land
& the flat now suddenly like a falling boeing plummeting to
sea & you who ask why
me? & your naked body suddenly swaying over me & sob
why? with your hair in my mouth sweet &
soft like edible strawberry underwear
& TIMOTEI SHAMPOO

oysters on melba toast & perrier water
that last morning
sun on the balcony &
not even 8 o'clock & already outside the happy screams of
holidaymakers with ice creams &
you who suddenly began to cry &
the curtains rip from their rings &
topless freeze in the glass
like an over-exposed photo from a family album
or an old magazine I think I see it now you say we have
lingered in chambers by the sea but all that
poetry shit means nothing now to me &
then you brought out the old curtains from a drawer that you
bought at a christmas special at
edgars in gordons bay &
that summer was a goner & I what do I say I guess we
dropped by at jane syemour's
& have subsequently returned to TIMOTEI SHAMPOO

police sirens that night & then a
crash 3:31 on the alarm clock & we were awake
no no I was alone I
think I remember now my love where were you?
where were you? because I was so alone &
it began to rain outside &
I went out into the abandoned streets & you jumbo golf
was gone & gone
down was the moon & the pleiades middle of night & I
frantically phoned the hospital from a callbox & mumbo
jumbo with a businesslike night nurse no no
you weren't there but in the
warm overpriced flat I found you
at the bay window with your
hands turned outwards
catching the rain I saw you running you said
& smiled are you bringing good news
for me did they get my body in the end?
do me a favour & balsam me in
TIMOTEI SHAMPOO

what happened my bashful fugitive pretty that
unfortunate december when we saw ourselves
as a sun setting in gordons bay in that
warm overpriced flat over
the portofino ice cream parlour with a
view of the quay