Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Poetry Library Southbank Centre - The Poetry Library housing the Arts Council Collection at Southbank Centre

« Previous item
Contents of this issue
Next item »

Harry Guest

print this page

'Any Time'

An echo from your
soft mouth. Only three
syllables heard in
that dark café of
staccato memory.
On the table two
half-empty tumblers
of Kirin beer. Blue
fish indolently
darted in their lit
glass goal to your left.
Our glances met to
flinch aside again.
Past desultory talk
I felt half-certain
alluring by-ways
waited while we drew
alternate puffs from
my last cigarette -
a Hi-Lite, rather
acrid. In the class
that evening (you may
remember) I’d taught
Othello. Prelude
for stripped deceits in
that ryokan across
the alleyway. When
the bland landlady
spread a red futon
on the tatami
she’d always say ‘Go
yukkuri’ (meaning
‘Take your time’). After
such switch in language
acting our rôle as
robbers was a cinch.
Learning to run off
with hours we knew weren’t
ours to lift or own.
Alibis found for
missing afternoons.
Scribbled lies in lieu
of whereabouts on
phantom schedules. As
camouflage. For what?
You never told me.
Even now so much
stays wrapped in wonder.
That first occasion
though - wary, weighing
each flicker of a
reaction - we fenced
with phrases, our legs
just touching, till my
dry tongue managed ‘I’d
like to. When?’ And then
you said

 

Page(s) 30

Back to top