we buy the scandal sheets at the supermarket
get into bed and eat pretzels and read as outside
the church bells ring and the dogs bark
we turn on the tv and watch very bad movies
then she goes down and brings up ice cream
and we eat the ice cream and she says,
tomorrow night is trash night.”
then the cat jumps up on the bed
drops its tongue out and stands there
glistening cross-eyed
the phone rings and it is her mother and she
talks to her mother
she hands me the phone
tell her mother that it’s too bad it’s freezing
back there
it’s about 85 here and,
yes, I’m feeling well and
hope you’re feeling well too
hand the phone back
she talks some more
then hangs up
mother is a very brave woman,” she tells me
tell her that I’m sure her mother is
the cat is still standing there glistening
cross-eyed
push it down onto the covers
well,” she says, “we’ve gone two nights without
drinking.”
good,” I say, “but tomorrow night I’m going to
do it.”
ah, come on,” she says
you don’t have to drink,” I tell her, “just because
do.”
like hell,” she says
she flips the remote control switch until she comes to a
Japanese monster movie
think we’ve seen this one,” I say
you didn’t see it with me,” she says, “who did you
see it with?”
you were laying with me, right here, when we saw it,”
tell her
don’t think I remember this one,” she says
you just keep watching,” I tell her
we keep watching
I’m not so sure anymore
but it’s a peaceful night as we watch this big thing
kick the shit out of half of Tokyo.
Other works by Charles Bukowski...
