Man Feet

Edgar occasionally walked around the corner and let the Vietnamese women pummel and scrape his feet with their small hands. He was vain about his feet, admired their boniness, the slender toes. He thought of his uncle, the one who'd died over there, a mysterious embarrassment to the wife and children he'd left behind.  Today Edgar even asked for an additional woman. She took his hands in hers, lathered his arms with some seedy soap, his dark hairs a jungle of scrub.

Betweenpie mountains

He dressed for Hopkins that morning and sat alone at the Greek cafe in Beverly Hills, reading of Jackself and thwarted passion, the ice in his glass melting. He waited for pie.





My own heart let me more have pity on; let
Me live to my sad self hereafter kind,
Charitable; not live this tormented mind
With this tormented mind tormenting yet.
I cast for comfort I can no more get
By groping round my comfortless, than blind
Eyes in their dark can day or thirst can find
Thirst's all-in-all in all a world of wet.

Soul, self; come, poor Jackself, I do advise
You, jaded, let be; call off thoughts awhile
Elsewhere; leave comfort root-room; let joy size
At God knows when to God knows what; whose smile
's not wrung, see you; unforeseen times rather — as skies
Betweenpie mountains — lights a lovely mile.

Gerard Manley Hopkins