her tremulous health its sudden onset their intimacy made him think of his own
he was older than she
though as a matter of fact he wasnt sure he had
been more fit in his life
true he couldnt run like he once did
his knees were
pretty beatup
but he made his
aerobics swimming and he could swim an hour non-stop
he tailored his lifting regime to
machines to minimise riskingdislocating his cyborg shoulder
he didnt have what he came in
with when he was born
they played backgammon Scrabble
did puzzles though favoured shots and beer backed with music to play cut-ups
he had amassed an expansive
librarythere were book shelves in every room
a small stand in the bathrooms fiction literature science history art scifi
cut-ups worked well
maybe because of her health she began to use the game to portend answer questions
in the vein of tarot readings
but she would
she was a witch
she had skills about her that
were uncannydefied explanation
but
not everything as he saw it needed to be explained or known
he didnt call it faith
meta- was a prefix that had a lot
of roots following it he slipped her
abilities in a slot he called metaphysical
he called her queer uncanny unexpected
their relationship was
unexpected
neither impressed the other the
first time they met
questioning the cut-up they were
going to play drawing from three books why use only one book he said she asked the question they would pursue
How will my health continue?
they sat across the table from
each other exercising the question in their particular manner and began when
they wished
she began before him
she was better at incantations
and concentration
he was better at moving being physical
How will my health continue?
he jumbled back and forth between
the booksturning them in his hands his
eyes closed shuffled them held them one
at a time pressed between his handsfingers widespread
until . .
and he began opened one book opened his eyes
-- he stands there petrified
-- had more faith in the Jews than in the
Gentiles
next book
-- move in freedom
-- the entrance to the cellar, the steps are
slippery and soiled with bat dung
-- everything was jumbled and tangled
third book
-- under the arcades, watching the kids
-- always the cluster of vultures who croaked
and flopped their dirty wings
second book
-- he looked at me and touched me
first book
-- the menstrual flow carried away the seed
third
-- I love the scripts that flow
first
-- There’s a bunch of green grapes on the table
and a bottle of wine
third
-- as if it had been written in lava
he was done
she was still reading and writing
he sipped his Irish and watched
her untroubled beautiful brow it would not
pain him to lookadmire her every day until he died
she would be the best thing he could imagine to see as the last thing he ever saw alive
he reread his piece
he couldnt make hide nor hair of
it
maybe she could
she had a third eye
Finished?
he looked up from his revelry
she had no idea when he finished
he couldnt focus like that
I am
You ready to read?
Actually its your turn to read
first
Is it?
It is
How will my health continue?
she read her cut-up
it was cogent
it inspired her to maintain the regime
she had begun
her cut-up almost said that
verbatim
How the hell do you do that
she was pleased with herself it shone in her eyes he only wished she was less
harsh with herself and that he could enjoy more often the veritable lighthouse
she became
Yours.
Yah Mine
Get a load of th . .
.
. You have to state the question before you read.
I do
Wonder why that escapes me time to time
It escapes you because you do not
prefer answering a question with a cut-up. shining she smiled
No I do not
Its your realm You know it an I know it
You
just like beating me up
Yes. An you like me nursing you
afterwards.
Yes
How will my health continue?
as he read to her he was distracted by the
nursing that would happen later
Twosday, 2 6. 09
1127, Twosday, 15 9.
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