Fait Accompli

Something I want Alf to quote, from ‘Anashuya and Vijaya’:

See-how the sacred old flamingoes come.
Painting with shadow all the marble steps:
Aged and wise, they seek their wonted perches
Within the temple, devious walking, made
To wander by their melancholy minds.

«I asked her if she likes Matisse. Why? She doesn’t like Matisse; she likes shopping. Well, fine, just so long as she likes shopping and fucking.»

Inspired by real life, but I’m pretty sure the chances she’ll stumble across this are infinitesimal.

But if she does: If not out of desire, perhaps out of pity?

I discovered Seeger through the excellent ‘I have a rendezvous with death’. I will probably use ‘Sonnet IX’ for Alf’s romancing of his unnamed love-object. 

With 10 boxes of books to store before I go overseas, I promised not to buy any more books.

I broke the promise.

When the Booker longlist came out, out came the credit card:

Netherland
A Case of Exploding Mangoes
The White Tiger

And then I noticed a couple of N.Y.R.B. Classics:

The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll
The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes

to my dearest sugary sweetheart etc.,

up on your lap i sit metaphorically, my darling, hoping this modest letter finds you tip-top healthwise.

i was walking down the street today towards Riverside and i couldn’t stop thinking about you. remember the last time we were there? oh, darling … it was wonderful. it was a beautiful Summer afternoon and we were walking hand in hand, etc.

i would ask you this in person, my love, but i do not yet have the ~ thing. so i ask you instead in writing: would you be my wife? would you? would you live with me happily ever after etc. and all that?

write back.

with love, your handsome stallion who loves you the most with his handsome built, shining greased hair and dashing moustache.

A Dance to the Music of Time (First Movement):

«his puny onslaughts»

I went to Brisbane. These are my observations: