I Also Knew Another Man

Scandinavian Review, Summer 2003 by Forsstrom, Tua

I also knew another man.

He was an oceanographer, but I never

saw him go down to the shore. He said I was

sweet and that the eyes of the deep-sea fishes blacken

when they are about to make love, thus he won my heart.

He flew through the air to foreign lands and peoples.

I sat in a wicker chair, creaking.

He said no one would want me.

I said no one would take pity on him,

except me. When he came home he told stories

and we had fun. In my dreams he looked

like a stork. Oh that man. He belonged to the

great Storytellers, he told stories so well

that he believed every single word.