Q & A | 2015
dedicated to Jean Assy
my mother told me that
the lavender pot
she placed
in her garden
had to be moved
from its current location
as the conditions were not
suitable
for its growth;
meanwhile,
my partner and I
quizzed each other
to test our love:
“preferred color?”
“pinkish-black”
“mine?”
“lavender”
“future spider’s name?”
“Lola”
“future cat’s name?”
“Bayern”
I close my eyes
tingled
with the sensation
of beard
caressing my cheek
and earlobe.
“my favorite writer?”
“me, of course”
-a pause-
“ok fine, Bukowski”
“my favorite programming language?”
“Java?”
I open my eyes
and watch
his smile
vanish
“PHP”
“the amount of nail-polishes I own?”
“20?”
I close my eyes again.
“40”
I am back in the garden
with my mother
as she is
insisting
her potted-plant
must be
provided with the
necessary conditions
to flourish.
“now if the plant’s roots
extended beyond its pot
and formed
networks
in the soil
that’s where the real problem is”
baffled, I inquire:
“despite it being confined to a pot?”
“Of course,” she explains.
“once the roots are formed,
you will not be able
to move the plant
somewhere new
anymore-
the connection would be
too strong
to separate.”
I shiver
as the
pleasure pricks
return-
“Tell me why I’m a political activist,”
he whispers-
his breathing slower,
warmer this time.
I reply:
“Tell me why I write.”