Read the papers. Last week some whacko burned out his neighbor for playing bongo drums. I'll just take a look outside. And while I m gone-- Stay here. --you can watch the end of your movie. You don t know what s out there. Of course not if you don t go look. Where s Grayson? The cat sleeps in the garage now. He sprayed on our bed. He did? Good for Grayson. Claiming my territory back for me. (goes back to the window) Grayson actually likes to go on walks. I always got a kick out of that. Especially at night, Grayson and me out there like a couple of cat burglars. He doesn t walk with you. I didn t think so. When I lived in the city-- Yeah, you used to wander around Golden Gate Park at night. I already told you. Five minutes after we met. 1
That s right. I forgot. The time when you so generously helped carry all my possessions out to my car. Anyway, one night I went from the beach end of the park, the windmills, all the way to the Panhandle. Mostly off the paths. Sometimes it was total darkness. I discovered lots of people in the bushes. Oh really. The point is, none of them ever saw me, Ken. Not once. This isn t your park. When you are the one stealing through the night, it s a very powerful feeling. You open yourself to all the layers of sound. You freeze in place and listen to the night breathe. I see. No you don t. Not if you re worried about my going down to the biker s. How about freezing in place on the couch. Wouldn t you like to know what you re really facing out there? Or make yourself a sandwich. There s pastrami and there s cheese. I ll have one too. Oh you will. I m curious: what do you do when it s your turn to make a meal around here? We eat out. Too bad. Some of the best times you can have with Trina are when you re making a meal together. That s a pleasure you don t have, I guess. 2
Nobody gets to have all the fun. Cooking together is a big part of our way of life out here. What part, taking turns stirring the soup? Trina cooks, Mike. And she decides when we eat out. Are you sure you love her? Everything about her? It would be bad to discover you didn t. What a disappointment. Never mind. Go on, have yourself a sandwich and take it easy. I still love her. Sure, but more like a sister now, of course. Most of my poems have been about her. Of her you could say: like snapshots of her moods. Trina s not your business anymore. She s my muse. Get yourself another muse. I have to say... (shakes his head) Have to say what? Never mind. 3
No, you have to say what? If a woman kicked me out I wouldn t keep coming back to her house Oh, I see. --to be just friends with her. And certainly not with the guy who replaced me. Really. That s right. Even if he called you--all shaky-voiced and apologetic--because he just shot somebody s dog? No I wouldn t. And you--you just come right out and say that? Then what gave you the fucking nerve to call ME? Because I knew you d show up. Guys like you. Is that right. Well know what? Trina just settled for you. On the rebound. Sorry I said anything. And here s some very bad news for you since you sure as hell proved you don t care about animals: When Abraham died-- Look, I know about Abraham Darby and the memorial fund and all that. I saw the album, page by page. 4
It took six of us to get him in the coffin. To be Trina s friend, you had to love that pig. Guess so, if she let a pig lie around in her living room. As far as Trina was concerned, it was Abraham s house too. That s not good news for a dog shooter, is it. And you never know, she might adopt another one. She won t be doing that. Okay, tell me this: what you re going to do when she lets Grayson back in her house? Because she ll do that sooner than you think. Anyway-- What exactly do you love about her? Beyond physical attraction. You really think that s any of your business? Tough question, I guess. It s hard for me to put in words; you re the poet. When I first saw her she was crying, Mike. Oh she was. Sitting at the bar crying. All by herself. Your fault, by any chance? We had a fight and she went out. When I sat down she didn t even look my way. And no, I didn t try to pick her up. 5