About

I went to the devil to seek the truth. I – the harlot, the queen, the child, the best of friends, la mere saignante – went to the devil. The harlot, the queen, the child, at the darkest hour, just before dawn, une mere saignante, seeking the evasive truth. A l'aube, he told me: "Every time I think of pushing you down the stairs, I lick my lips," and I answered: "I'll lick them too." I went to the devil, the best of friends. A l'aurore he told me: "But don't be upset, it's the only way that I know how to show you that I really care," and I promised him: "I'm not upset." In the chill of the winter morning he kept turning the screw: "And I lie to you every chance that I get, and I make it just close enough to the truth that you go for it every time," and I replied: "This is the truth, how shall I not go for it?" I approached the devil who softly explained:" But don't misunderstand, I leave fingerprints outside of your window in the shapes of positive messages," and I said: "I can clearly see they're positive." At noon, when the sun was up in the sky everything went dark and I felt la mer saignante caressing my body and soul, the harlot, the queen, the child and the truth of best friends. I went to the devil to seek the truth and should have never reached it for it had dwelt inside me since the very beginning. I bet Cavafy, while writing Ithaka, didn't have in mind a filthy gutter nor the source of urine.

 "Playing things too safe is the most popular way to fail" said Elliott Smith, and I say: "I sure ain't no failure"

Clarifications:The triangle of the harlot, the queen and the child is taken from the poem Presences by W. B. YeatsThe "Devil's speech" is taken from the opening words of the song Bones in the Water by Battle of Mice – lyrics by the number one female vocalist – Julie Christmas.

Written on Dec. 31 2006