Sit-in in Florence
The doors yawn and the audience flutter in like leaves
to settle, casually, under the chandelier’s icy flower.
Prize-giving oration, even the mayor himself, shimmering
us with syllables of welcoming confetti, pretty though.
When you’ve traipsed in Florence, done the things, seen
the rain drip from David’s balls, this someone’s prize
is just our trick. The trap’s there too: to listen.
The menu has a high court judge who winds his windy way
Hour on hoary hour, Latin quotes like pepper beans.
We looked for Zeus’ bolt, a chariot of fire,
a trump of holy thunder, and it came: a fatal pause,
a fruity fart rippled to the ceiling. Time to clap
Rhythmic, solid, Fascist Pigs, Free the People,
Maggie Out, we felt our 20s rise up in our bowels.
The prisoners respond, we’re all too 40s to be cruel,
we chitter him a thin, dry, courteous applause.
It’s star-turn time, the novelist we haven’t read,
a fainting look like Woolf, she has some classy talk,
the ‘unexpected honour’ leaves us battered just the same,
culture-shocked, Binis and Cellinis flitter in our eyes.
Over-use could do our brains an injury, but something’s
floating up by natural accord, a quote from Flaubert
to Turgenieff, ‘tried living in an ivory tower,’ he said,
‘but merda-rous tides swilled at its walls - instead.’
Page(s) 5
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