In a bar...

		It was as though I wanted to get away,
		to be always farther away from the hero
		 -- J.E. Pacheco (En lo que dura el
		curce del Atlantico / For as long as it 
		takes to cross the Atlantic)


In a bar, at a table in the bar she cracked jokes that carried
her to an unknown territory
eyeglass eye cries the reddened eye eyes
the world repeated itself made comments was undone in her tongue
goatish odic modish pagoda angola

in the universe, at a table of the universe
she set words agains words
pressure prison presto pristine praxis
lover terror tremor

she made love against her lovers
defended the most daring forms of gaiety
tried consonantal rhyme
celebrated a skewed accord with history

if you give me an apple I'll give you a chapel
ask for bread not on your head ask for a jug and get a hug

in the universe at a table of the universe
she managed to lose herself mimic herself break mirrors
she never answered when they called her by her name
she wanted to forget modesty the sparks the don'tmesswithme
perversely she would answer "fiesta siesta molester"

except that the question had not yet been asked