I Couldn’t Stand the Smell of the Pinks

 

I couldn’t stand the smell of the pinks
and honestly I used to think I was going crazy

and probably I did go crazy in a way
because during the day I was terrified of the night

and during the night I was terrified of the day
and then in the day I was terrified of the day

so probably, yes, I did go a little crazy
and that was when the elephant appeared,

colossal and refulgent, at my side
(colossal but without any fuss)

and soon we started walking down the road,
nice and slow, like people carrying buckets.

from People Who Like Meatballs (Bloodaxe, 2012), Selima Hill 2012, used by permission of the author and the publisher

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