So We Have Been Given Time Or by Sawako Nakayasu

So We Have Been Given Time   Or by Sawako Nakayasu

CHARACTERS: geography enthusiast, twice removed.

brother, as in your.

or as in oh.

young czech intellectual, female.

estranged or expatriated cousin, male.

young man of marrying age, recent dumpee.

---

his too-kind mother, a goose.

owner of the voice on the answering machine.

soccer player whiffing a penalty kick.

bartender outside of his natural environment.

innocent spectators.

fish butcher.

man later determined as yang, the active male principle.

DIRECTIONS: away

comma.

cross-country.

relational advising push up closer or against.

downstage from boston.

75-degree angle from the ground.

buy this very expensive painting right now.

exit with purpose and earliness.

move.

a wall.

ask everyone how they got married.

40 degrees north from a point 1800 miles west.

CHARACTER: genius in vintage clothes.

DIRECTIONS: take 95 south to 195 east, exit gano st.

don’t park.

TIME: within the frame.

too late for changes in the master plan.

enormous changes at which minute.

go back for more.

CHARACTER: a new degenerate.

confessional rock star.

at dinner tells a bad joke about silence, thank you.

next

DIRECTIONS: amtrak.

south.

south.

sentimental thoughts on a train, by the window, with a paper cup, an old cup of tea.

cup as focus or locus, as if it starts with

TIME: shortened by ice floes departing downriver.

moreshortened by clouds reflecting samely samely on such

PLACE: directions.

DIRECTIONS: get on the subway, any system.

buy a bag, get sneaky about it.

ask the right questions to the unsuspecting.

open as unmarked door in the

DIRECTIONS: more crying.

trans-atlantic

CHARACTER: person with both eyes closed in heathrow airport.

DIRECTIONS: a phone number has x as a digit.

begin to suffer.

run alongside, parallel to time as if this is done all the time.

stay in airport for pragmatic or hugely contentious reasons.

read as little as possible into the voice on the phone.

CHARACTER: the arrived and the recalcitrant.

DIRECTIONS: stub.

stun gun aimed at

So We Have Been Given Time Or by Sawako Nakayasu is available from Wave Books.