first meeting*
based on Reiner Stach’s description of Franz Kafka’s first meeting with Felice Bauer (see page 100, ‘Kafka The Decisive Year’s by Reiner Stach, translated by Shelley Frisch)
only a few words
yet enough to
put you out
to sea
silly boy
you liked her
to the ‘point
of sighing’
you spilled out
to others there
and jammed yourself
into the revolving
door along side
her to keep
up with
her in
laughter
silly boy
you were out
to sea in a
boat of
pail and
shovel
sailing to
jerusalem
silly boy
with the finest
machinery of all
in that head
of yours
silly boy
a sigh is
never a
map
silly boy
nelson st, howick
4 october 2014