Turning That Sunlit Side of His in Your Direction

he waits in brilliant sun

beside the crimson taxicab

for you

he resembles his country

dissembling

as if nothing had ever happened

it's now right on noon

even the architecture casts no shadows

all you see of him is his outside

resembling the crab carried to your table

after approximately twenty minutes

in its hard outer casing

on the complimentary food platter

a solo tomato sits

luscious   shiny

when you gently bite into it

it's then you find   that inside it's rotten

so great is your shock that you almost shout out loud

he doesn't bat an eyelid

and like the slice of apple beneath the knife

turns that sun-lit side of his in your direction

the two of you part ways once more beneath bright sunshine

as if   nothing at all had altered

but you know   everything's utterly altered

Written on 20th of August, 2001

Translated by Simon Patten