Canto 30

Are you happy to come on this ride he said standing at the till

with the queue of people waiting to get on the carousel

and he held him by the shoulders to stop him going off

while all around the attractions, all the sounds of the funfair.

I don’t understand your decision he asked him in a murmur

wanting things that stand still with so much else to try:

Canto 1

Order in dressing is needed, coherence in deceit. He repeated this

smoothing with his hands the edge of his jacket, the lapels,

the shirt untouched around the collar

too tight and yet just right for the image in the mirror.

A sweeping gesture, a touch to his hair perfectly groomed

and all the rest: perfection, he repeated