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- to Giorgio de Chirico
I built a house in the middle of the ocean
Its windows rivers streaming from my eyes
Octopuses storm the walls we hold onto
Hear their triple hearts beat beaks rattle the panes
Sodden house
House on fire
Quick season
Season of song
The planes are dropping eggs
Mind the anchor that one swings
Mind the inkjet that one squirts
A good thing you've come from the sky
The earthbound octopuses are trembling
And we're nothing but clever gravediggers
Pale octopuses of chalk seas pale-beaked octopuses
You can tell there's an ocean round this house
It never sleeps
From Brando's Hat No 2 (Summer 1998). Translated by Steven Waling.