top of page
Eureka
“When a body is totally or partially immersed in a swirl-soup entanglement, it experiences a lightheadedness or apparent loss of reason equal in weight to the volume of commonsense displaced”
With thanks and apologies to Archimedes
Everyone could see it but he,
immersed as he was in swirl-soup
she hung on him like a giddy wet garment,
arms around his ampleness,
posing for the camera
After the photography session
she would return to her wood pecking,
she didn’t like the house
preferred a place of her own
needed a new car,
some security for her old age
She installed her children in the spare bedrooms,
nagged him until he asked his own kids to leave,
it would be educational for them to stand
on their own feet
When he had the heart attack and subsequent
multiple bypass, she visited him often in the
hospital. Dressed like a fashion model, she knew
it would cheer him up. While he was recuperating
she made a quick trip overseas, to visit her mother
whom she loathed
She took a job, became a workaholic, left home at eight
and returned often late at night, complaining about
her boss, the responsibility, the unfairness.
He paid for all the household expenses; her salary
went into a private savings account for her old age.
He thought it was only fair to make her the sole beneficiary
of his life insurance, the house was large, on spacious
grounds, in the event of his death there would be more than
enough to provide for his two children – and for her four
He came to visit me in the hospital after my surgery,
brought a box of chocolates I could not eat. He had put
on weight, was a bit tired of doing all the cooking, took her
regularly to the fine restaurants she preferred
She really needs a rest, he said, been working so hard,
such long hours, such tension; then a godsend, a friend who
was going to a holiday resort phoned to say that her husband
was not able to accompany her, she had his ticket and booking,
wondered whether S could join her. He took her to the station in the morning, there was a direct train to the airport
Can’t you see what she’s doing, I asked. Are you blind?
He sighed, you know she really loves me (I thought of buying
him a dictionary, a self-help book, anything to disperse
the swirl-soup)
Then the phone call from an old friend – J was over yesterday,
she has an acquaintance whose marriage is breaking up, her husband
is cheating on her, and you know with whom? Perhaps your friend
could speak with his friend, tell him what’s going on behind
his back.
Forget it, I said, he’s immersed totally in swirl-soup. Last year
I got him a pair of goggles for his birthday, so he could see
underwater. He gave them to her son who is practicing for
the swimming team.
He still chats up the waitresses with his old triple-chinned
double entendres, he’s put on a lot of weight again, only takes
artificial sweeteners, he’s gotten used to the taste, can’t tell
the difference from real sugar
© Johnmichael Simon
2007
.
bottom of page