RICHARD ZOLA

dance floor...the bishop eyes the cardinal..not the answer he'd expected...

someone should say something
to anthony

about what

about his shoes

geraldine said
someone should say something
to anthony

ruby said
about what

ruby and geraldine at a table

ruby in blue
geraldine in wheat coloured linen

one shoe is bigger than the other
says geraldine

ruby swallows coffee
is it noticeable she says

geraldine swallows coffee
only if you put them sole to sole

put your hands inside them
the shoes sole to sole

move them like this

the left is shorter narrower than the right 

ruby says
which pair of shoes

geraldine holds a fork
says

the elasticated ones

the fork is bright 
in light through blinds

she tilts the fork

light crosses the ceiling
rests on a wall

ruby says
what about the pair that laces

geraldine says
both of those are the same size

she and she hear a door open close

anthony says
hi ruby geraldine

anthony hears hi twice

ruby adds:
anthony

anthony repeats
hi

geraldine tilts her fork
light moves up a wall to the ceiling

anthony sits

geraldine and ruby 
face him at angles of 45 degrees

anthony looks at geraldine ruby

anthony says
the accordion player in the square

you know his hat for money
is usually green

today he collected coins in a red hat

ruby
geraldine
anthony

swallow coffee

put their cups on the table:

ruby
geraldine

anthonys cup nearly touches the saucer
he lifts the cup to his mouth

puts it on the saucer

anthony adjusts the cup
so that it fits an indented circle in the saucer

a sound from the street:
ruby straightens her back
sees through a window:

a figure leaning to pick up an aluminium ladder

a priest stands
sings a hymn

geraldine opens a magazine

ruby sees anthony lift the lid of a coffee pot
climb into the pot

watches his head emerge from the spout

anthony says:

waiter

anthony uncrosses his legs
pulls his chair closer to the table

ruby says:

it was a ladder falling from the roof
of a van

geraldine says:

the shoes of st francis of assissi
for example

ruby 
anthony

look at geraldine

ruby looks at anthony
back at geraldine

geraldine says:

how might the shoes 
of st francis of assissi looked

anthony says

st francis of assissi made his own coat
invited lice into his hair

his coat is on display in a cathedral

geraldine says:
or the shoes of botticelli

ruby straightens her back
sees through a window

two figures replacing tiles on the roof
of the blue house

light reflects from a ladder onto her face

ruby says:
i thought one was a priest

anthony takes cups saucers
from the table 

washes them at the sink

geraldine hands a magazine to ruby
looks from the window

at two figures on the roof of the blue house

geraldine says
which one did you think was a priest

ruby turns pages

anthony reaches for a cloth

ruby says:
the one in the red hat

anthony dries a cup with a cloth

says:

i have a feeling
the accordion players red hat

is smaller than the green one

geraldine climbs inside anthonys mouth
carves faces in his teeth

after an hour

ruby 
geraldine
anthony

discuss the new tiles 
on the roof of the blue house

ruby points to a heron flying
its shadow long across leaves

copyright RICHARD ZOLA