fra-ank
she says it with a sing-song inflection at the end
fra-ank
an insistent entry into my consciousness
I’m driving back from wangaratta
where we have attended the fracture clinic
two weeks ago she fell down some stairs
and received a tiny crack in one toe
the receptionist beckons to me after registration
do you know what she told me her name was
she said it was autumn
autumn summer
we agreed that autumn summer
would be quite a nice name at that
and smiled knowingly at each other
now here
on the drive back to the hostel
she has been watching me closely for twenty kilometers
fra-ank
ye-es
when we get back
can you do something
on your computer
what is it you want me to do
could you fix up the pepper in my head
oh
what does the pepper do inside your head
you know
she says
it goes round and round
and stops me from reading and from writing
will you get on the computer and fix it
well of course I will
as soon as we get back
to the hostel
~