For S.
The phone has Alzheimer’s,
keeps calling, forgetting it has called before,
keeps asking the same questions:
how is England? when are you coming over?
ignoring the implied never.
The phone has Alzheimer’s,
keeps telling me it won’t talk about Israeli politics,
keeps forgetting it won’t talk about Israeli politics,
sucking the listener down, down into its
repetition compulsion, its death drive:
how is England? when are you coming over?
The phone has Alzheimer’s,
keeps calling, forgetting it has called before.
One day soon, though, it will be cured
and will not call again,
will no longer not talk about Israeli politics.
Jonathan Taylor
Back to The Phone Book