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Small Talk
- University of Wisconsin Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
15 SMALL TALK We’restrangerschatting aboutstormyweather astheelevatorwhisksustothetop oftheU.S.BankBuilding, butnothigher,nonever higher thoughweaspire toriseaboveourselvesinflocks likelostCanadageese. Theirgooseheartsbeattogether. Theyarenotafraidtocryinpublic: Wearetoomany! Weareweeds! Andyetthoughlostweflyfearlessly overMilwaukee. Ostrangersinthelift, don’tholdmygaze.Itisenough toknowyouaretooclose forcomfort.Fellowcitizens ofAmerica’sfatteststate, itisnotweightthatkeepsus down,buthearttrouble: blockages,skips,littleifs. Theweatherisnotsmall.Itislarger thanweare,largerthanNorth America(avecCanada), perhapsco-terminalwithGodandAllah, soletussmall-talk inthehushedtonesofnunsandlovers, asweunzipourcoats andshakeoffthedrops. Wecan’tfeelfullyhuman whenwe’rewet.Suchistherain’sgift. Suchistherain’slargesse. ...