Day 5

Samuel Deshayes and Abby Haber, Day 5

tomorrow I’ll go into the parking lot of the shopping mall
I’ll walk a few kilometers to see
the cells of huge sheet metal buildings
curtains drawn lights off the rumor

of the beltway will be a reminiscence
the silence will buzz in my head
as well as the cries of starlings between roofs

I’ll sit in the middle of the parking lot that will
return to its smooth asphalt surface
with vague rings of featureless white bands

the ground feels cold upon contact with the hands
I’ll look far away even beyond
maybe I’ll see a pedestrian coming
before the gendarmes’ patrol car

Samuel Deshayes, french version here