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Mary Michaels

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English Art

Mary Michaels reading English Art 1480.3 KB
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The ‘Portrait of a Girl’ in a blonde straw hat
was between, not behind, two looped red ropes
and I went up close; wondering if the artist himself
could be seen in his painted mirror – and indeed, he could;
staring straight forward, his forehead creased

*

In the café, a man in an apron, sweeping up
was starting to cordon off sections of the room
and we found ourselves looped off like a picture
the two of us, husband and wife, seated opposite each other
big window behind us throwing in light
with a tea pot and milk jug and hot water jug
and cake-crumbs glistening on knives and plates

*

Neither tap could be turned off – water gushing out –
the hot tap in the sink, the tap in the basin –
he said he was about to change a bit of plumbing –
a stranger with a scrap-metal van brought it in –

but then the door was left unlocked and he made a mistake
about which street we were on – went to the wrong one –
and rushed through a high gate into a sideway –
we haven’t got a sideway –

*

I put a cup of tea on his bedside table
even though I know it isn’t really wanted
(for which reason I’ve already drunk half of it)

without a hot drink I couldn’t start the day:
the day has started.

 

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