Cannibal

9

9 I he soo n is relative, he says in the dark without a flashlight —because wher e woul d w e ge t new batterie s here ? — the dark with half a moon. We hav e t o pol e uprive r wit h th e equipmen t thi s time . Against the current . I am not a s sad as I could be with th e delay. I see Cleopa - • 8 2 tra, a smart blac k woman, o n a barge and leaves at th e en d of branches waving over me. Mostly, I see no walking. I don' t as k wher e exactl y wil l thi s be , wher e w e ar e going, just th e wa y I didn't as k wher e exactl y di d he leav e the money . H e shoul d no t kno w I want t o kno w exactly . My finding ou t ha s t o b e from someon e else . It i s lik e th e way I don' t as k hi m abou t th e gu n tha t I di d onc e slee p against which had no shoe shape . But it's water you're afraid of , I say. The river is shallow now that it is so dry. We could wade. But don't you want to go in a boat? A boat leaves no footprints i s what I don't answer . A satellite blinks throug h som e chinks . I am not lost , a t least I se e satellites . I a m jus t no t found , no t looke d for . Maybe he has some small silver something like a bug sew n to the insid e of his pack tha t make s him foun d t o the one s who emplo y hi m an d watc h him . Bu t a t leas t the n they'r e watching, whic h i s mor e tha n star s do . Fo r tha t reason , I like to watch satellites better, although probably some have weapons which, o f course, I can't see . We ar e sleepin g insid e a ten t o f cornstalk , eac h stal k leaning into th e next, a lean-to the cow s haven't eate n yet , or leaned-into. But ther e ar e no cow s aroun d here—thi s i s a fishing plac e o r s o say s th e ma n wh o lead s u s pas t an d through cousin s who like him an d hence us. He i s smokin g pag e 13 2 an d I a m gla d th e sli m boo k I thought righ t for campin g is the fat on e I thought I' d neve r read anywher e else . But burnin g money ! Al l th e extr a cas settes ar e no w filled o r gon e s o I worr y abou t m y exit , exactly how many pages will take me back when I have m y courage and my songs together . 83 • What i s together i s th e do g and myself. He is shove an d push bu t pillow , becaus e h e i s warm . Th e do g watches i f we put ourselve s closer , my fat ches t agains t th e man's, h e watches wit h mor e interes t tha n i f we eat . Is he jealous o r confused, th e wa y I was confuse d wit h th e giraff e an d th e kissing? Love and sex are dog things too. The man wit h th e cousin s sleep s on the door side of th e fire. Ho w d o yo u thin k peopl e kee p o n havin g more ? thi s man wh o ha s bee n her e befor e whispers . The y don' t hav e guest bedrooms . I don' t thin k I have tha t questio n abou t thes e people . I hug th e par t that' s al l dark , tha t coul d b...