Bagatelle on the Occasion of the Glorious Liberation of Kabul
November 13th, 2001
Sometimes it gets so bad, in my extremity I actually start to revel in the utter triviality of my life
A few days ago the Northern Alliance
hesitated before Mazar-e-sharif,
and we froze our hearts
against a long winter
of delay, defeat,
disappointment, defection,
of dearth, and of death,
and of puppets toppling puppets.
And now, today, our brave mawali
pour through checkpoints
to rush down Kabul Road
in the transports of their exultation,
and the capital blossoms
with weddings, and banking,
and but a modicum of revenge.
And so I went and bounced
my second $320 rent check
in as many months,
which upset me so,
I wheedled my friend Nina, the ecdysiast,
into buying me chianti, and grappa,
and Glenlivit
with her wads of dollar bills
until I couldn’t see.
What happened after that
I don’t know.
But I’ll be hiding out at home
for a while
until whatever it was
blows over.
Just doing my patriotic duty,
getting back to normal.
Sometimes it gets so bad, in my extremity I actually start to revel in the utter triviality of my life
A few days ago the Northern Alliance
hesitated before Mazar-e-sharif,
and we froze our hearts
against a long winter
of delay, defeat,
disappointment, defection,
of dearth, and of death,
and of puppets toppling puppets.
And now, today, our brave mawali
pour through checkpoints
to rush down Kabul Road
in the transports of their exultation,
and the capital blossoms
with weddings, and banking,
and but a modicum of revenge.
And so I went and bounced
my second $320 rent check
in as many months,
which upset me so,
I wheedled my friend Nina, the ecdysiast,
into buying me chianti, and grappa,
and Glenlivit
with her wads of dollar bills
until I couldn’t see.
What happened after that
I don’t know.
But I’ll be hiding out at home
for a while
until whatever it was
blows over.
Just doing my patriotic duty,
getting back to normal.
Page(s) 30
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