Today Was Good.

Yesterday, in Fun Hour With Letje, I decided that it's important to me to make my project not just straight-up research, but also an experiment with narrative, memory, reflection, oral history. Amping up my subjectivity as researcher, basically, and seeing what comes out of it. I'm excited.

Today, for Squiggling Ocean (the writing roundtable that Bri and Nick and Tim and i hold weekly), I actually submitted something new. Well, that's not entirely true. It was born out of a freewrite that I did in Parc de la Ciutadella when I was in Barcelona, so fragments of it are old, but it is basically new. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, if it is dull or productively tense; if it is absurd, or boring for people who don't know French. I kept thinking about Mary Poppins In the Park when I was writing it. I'm excited to go back for round two! Even if I will not have the advantage of a good friend and tour guide, this time.
For your viewing pleasure.

Partout, n'Importe Où, Le Coeur Casse

Pigeon poop.
Gratis.
Hungry.
Parc.
Bonsoir?
Elle ne dit pas bonsoir?
Men and pigeons.
What?
The scent of fresh feces.

Tu marches trop vite pour moi.
Je ne peux plus t’ignore.
Qui en plus?
Vieux hommes whistling a tune.
Welcome to umbrella leaves tickling your head-top,
Stylish mothers wheeling strollers.

In Turkïye, you go and sit down next to someone you don’t know, you say
“Hello uncle, how are you, fine weather today,"
And in this country they look at you like you are a murderer.

Where did I get off the Metro?
Where you at, crayzee?

Duh, bébé, I am hungry for this.
Maybe appetite is not as urgent a breathing thing as I thought, once.

Torrent,
If you do not turn around.
If you do not open your eyes, if we do not meet just yet.
If we do not find what we are looking for here.

If I do not know what direction you are coming from, if maybe you have forgotten me,
If perhaps I get a little cold waiting;
If I see you emerge calm from the mer of scenester bikers jumping twirling, and smile,
If the pigeons are smiling also,
If we do not understand foreign airports,

You home?

I would have guessed you were French.
I would have guessed you were from Ireland,
I would have guessed you would have learned Spanish before coming here.
I would not have guessed, from your demeanor, that you missed me ever or at all.

Where you first jumped off the boat.
How high, my man, how high?
This time she will pick up.
This time we will climb the montagne.
Who bought food for this journey,
Pain and chorizo, drinks and drinks.
As I said, skip to skip on the boardwalk as we passed your ship,
How high?

Made in Espagne,

Si,
Si,
Claro,

Oui,
Oui,
Claire.