beijing distractions — E8C;

i said
un bouteille de l’eau
my often mistake
but the native frenchman

his memory full
of his often humiliation
said quoi
je ne te comprends pas

i sensed a surrounding surprise
a vendor didn’t know what he sold
but he knew what i wanted
& he played his cowardly game

i looked at the card
and read
oh so slowly
la derrière d’un chimpanzée

and raised my brows
mimed my surprise
the words i’d supposédly seen
and actually said

looked at him
at the card
then hard looked back quick
eyes on the sour defective

and mimed my gentle amuse
hand over mouth
silent
like the wonderful monochrome clowns

mimed my desolée
that he could ever have thought
that i for one moment considered
his face was a monkey’s arse

next would depend on his reaction
were he to smile
prend une bouteille d’eau
that would be that

where he to explode
au revoir à l’hydration
yet kind as i am
i’d have offered a tissue

so he could clean
the moustache on his arse
were that not enough
then as my age had allowed

i might have faux danced
the oo oo oo chant
hands under armpits
i remember from childhood

i think my wife
by then
would have pulled me away
laughing

so i wouldn’t then shout
commisérations
à tes parents
monsieur