Poetry

501 Mis|           it cost you?"~The guests stayed for a while and then rose
502 Mis|         quietly, listening for her step. Perhaps he should get up
503 Mis|           coffee which he accepted stiffly.~The emotion which he had
504 Mis|          She was gifted at telling stories and knew how to spice up
505 Mis|       often happens after a summer storm. The trees and facades of
506 Mis|           thank goodness. Man is a strange animal. No one would ever
507 Mis|           came to an end. The neon streetlights had gone on outside. Children
508 Mis|          from the animation in the streets on that June afternoon full
509 Mis|         tied to their wives’ apron strings.~His whole being shuddered
510 Mis|         all trace of antagonism or stubbornness.~"I’ll get ready," she said
511 Mis|          and legible than his. She studied when the children in their
512 Mis|          same mistake. Why does my stupidity get in the way of my happiness?"
513 Mis|           told everywhere when the subject arose. Martin had said nothing.~
514 Mis|         the thought that his was a successful marriage that was destined
515 Mis|           went through! And we all suffered with her. But it’s over
516 Mis|      reasons, there were also many superfluous moments of tension between
517 Mis|     themselves for a scolding. But surprisingly enough none was forthcoming.
518 Mis|  immediately.~It was the children. Sweaty and dusty, the two boys
519 Mis|          hall. He heard his wife’s sweet voice as she talked to one
520 Mis|            be able to show her was swept aside by Farouk’s undampened
521 Mis|             Martin wondered.~"I’ve sworn a hundred times not to get
522 Mis|           poured out of the tap, a symbol of her anger.~She’s finished,
523 Mis|           a book lying open on the table and tried to read for a
524 Mis|           mind. After all, it only takes a couple of minutes to make
525    | taking
526 Mis|          wife’s sweet voice as she talked to one of her friends, and
527 Mis|            say to one another. She talks and I say ‘yes, yes’, but
528 Mis|           now grown tender and the teardrops welling in her eyes seemed
529 Mis|            the calendar?" he would tease her. "We will always be
530 Mis|          off a mixture of longing, tenderness and understanding in her.
531 Mis|        many superfluous moments of tension between them accompanied
532    | themselves
533 Mis|           had descended behind the thick foliage of the poplars which
534 Mis|           wanted to shout at him: "Thief!"~Vojsava was not unaware
535 Mis|       Listen, it’s not the way you think!" but Farouk broke in before
536 Mis|        thrown into discord by some thoughtless gesture or remark. But at
537 Mis|      Martin turned his head two or three times as if expecting a
538 Mis|            in their lives would be thrown into discord by some thoughtless
539 Mis|         fun of the others who were tied to their wives’ apron strings.~
540 Mis|           was wiping off the white tiles around the sink. Seeing
541 Mis|       contours of the poplars, the tips of which sparkled with raindrops.
542 Mis|       gotten back from work and is tired and I am the one who should
543    | too
544 Mis|           of the poplars which now took on a golden glow.~For a
545 Mis|             She shrank back at the touch of his hands. For a moment,
546    | towards
547 Mis|     kitchen, drying her hands on a towel.~"It’s a good thing you
548 Mis|            moment to wash away all trace of antagonism or stubbornness.~"
549 Mis|            Once again she lost her train of thought.~Farouk and his
550 Mis|           came. He returned to his tranquil contemplation of that June
551 Mis|     observed how his wife held the tray. He suddenly felt overwhelmed
552 Mis|        lying open on the table and tried to read for a moment. Once
553 Mis|           his return from business trips, he would let his mind wander
554 Mis|           want to go out."~"That’s true, all right. Whenever Pauline
555 Mis|           irritation which he felt truly sorry about. He was on the
556 Mis|       Martin turned to his wife to try to see what she was thinking,
557 Mis|          she would have considered unacceptable in him. How could it have
558 Mis|            Thief!"~Vojsava was not unaware of the enthusiasm of their
559 Mis|            swept aside by Farouk’s undampened enthusiasm. Martin, quite
560 Mis|           up, then sat down again, undecided for a moment, his eyes wandering
561    | under
562 Mis|   impromptu visit, she smiled back unexpectedly. Then suddenly she rose,
563 Mis|           crushing the butt of his unfinished cigarette in the saucer
564 Mis|          he wondered, angry at the uninvited guests who were breaking
565 Mis|         against their will and for unknown reasons, there were also
566 Mis|            not so much to ease her unnecessary suffering or satisfy her
567 Mis|           hundred times not to get upset because he simply does not
568    | us
569    | used
570 Mis|          again. A lock of her hair usually held in place by a hair
571 Mis|         longing to be with her, in vain, and as if that were not
572 Mis|     Vojsava’s handwriting was more vertical and legible than his. She
573 Mis|         not at home?" inquired the visitors with the self-confidence
574 Mis|      amusing observations and with vivid gestures and facial expressions.
575 Mis|          finished yet? he thought. Wait another second, he said
576 Mis|      turned to the calendar on the wall. He was tempted to smile
577 Mis|       trips, he would let his mind wander and do absolutely nothing
578 Mis|   undecided for a moment, his eyes wandering to the door and then back
579 Mis|          He never says ‘no’ when I want to go out."~"That’s true,
580 Mis|            come in here because he wants something and is afraid
581 Mis|          to drink their coffee and watch the sun descend peacefully
582 Mis|       annoyance. Martin sensed the weariness in her voice.~"He has just
583 Mis|          certain that they will be welcome wherever they go.~"Oh yes,
584 Mis|         view from the balcony, the well-tended flowers...~Martin moved
585 Mis|      street. A sense of confidence welled up within him at the thought
586 Mis|           tender and the teardrops welling in her eyes seemed to have
587 Mis|            time they knew that the wellspring of affection they felt for
588 Mis|          knowing quite what to do. Weren’t the dishes finished yet?
589 Mis|    raindrops still quivered on the wet foliage of the high poplars.~
590    | whatever
591    | whereas
592    | wherever
593 Mis|         and she was wiping off the white tiles around the sink. Seeing
594    | whoever
595    | whole
596 Mis|          was ajar and he pushed it wide open. He wanted to say something,
597 Mis|        with their wives..."~Martin winced. Damn, he thought, crushing
598 Mis|            his father a man-to-man wink and said, "Mommy forgot
599 Mis|          were finished and she was wiping off the white tiles around
600 Mis|           it have happened?~Martin withdrew slightly and observed her
601    | within
602 Mis|             it was customary for a woman to see that the dishes were
603 Mis|           She’s fine, she is doing wonderfully."~"So what’s new?" Martin
604 Mis|            turned the tap on full, wondering whether she was not being
605 Mis|        between them accompanied by worry and suffering which they
606 Mis|           the estrangement all the worse. She set the cups beside
607 Mis|        least have spoken to me. It wouldn’t have cost him anything.
608 Mis|            fewer novels. Who would write the history of Anna Karenina?
609 Mis|         feeling that something was wrong. But what exactly? He could
610 Mis|          and felt that he had been wronged. There was a limit to everything.