by Kenneth Koch

    Patrizia doesn't want to

    Talk about love she

    Says she just

    Wants to make

    Love but she talks

    About it almost endlessly to me.

    It is horrible¹ it

    Is the worst thing in life

    Says Patrizia

    Nothing

    Not death not sickness

    Is as bad as love

    I am always

    In love I am always

    Suffering from love

    Says Patrizia. Now

    I am used to it

    But I am suffering all the same

    Do you know what I did to her

    Once？——speaking

    Of her girlfriend——I kicked her out

    I literally² kicked her she was down on the floor and I

    Gave her the colpi di piedi the

    Kicks of my foot. She slided out.

    She did this

    To me promised to go on a trip

    I am all waiting prepared

    Suitcases and tickets

    She comes and says her other friend finds out she

    Can't go she guessed about it. I KICKED her out

    Oh we are still together

    Sometimes. But love is horrible. I thought

    You might be the best

    Person to talk to Patrizia since you

    Love women and are a woman

    Yourself. You may be right Patrizia

    Said. But this woman who abandons³

    You I think you should

    Disappear. Though maybe with this woman

    Disappearing won't work.

    I think not disappear.

    It's too bad I don't know her

    If I knew her if I could see her

    Just for ten minutes——I'm afraid

    If you saw her you might take

    Her away from me. Patrizia

    Laughs. No it hasn't happened to me

    Thank God to like such young women yet

    Why？ When you are my

    Age——still young——she

    Is thirty . . . nine？ you are close enough

    To people very young to

    Know how horrible they are

    And you don't love them

    You don't want to have anything

    To do with them！ Oh

    Uh huh， I said putting

    My hands down on the table and then off

    Look at you excuse me but I have to laugh

    At you sitting in this horrible

    Restaurant at one o'clock

    In the morning in a

    City you don't want to be

    In and why？ For this woman.

    It is horrible I know but

    Also funny

    I know I said. Listen I have

    An idea. Do you know her address？ You know where

    She lives？ You should go there

    Go and hide there

    Outside her house

    In the bushes⁴

    Then when she comes out

    You jump out

    You confront⁵ her. You will see

    If there is love

    In her eyes or not. It can't

    Be hidden. You will know It can't be mistaken

    This works⁶ This has always worked

    For me. It won't work for me. I can't

    Go and hide there It is true

    Patrizia says when there is love everything

    Works when there isn't nothing does. Love

    Is a god These Freudian things I don't believe at all

    This god you have to do what

    He wants you to you are

    Angry but all you really want

    Is to get her back. Then——revenge！ If

    This woman did something like this to me

    I would simply dislike her in fact

    I would hate her You may want to consider

    Patrizia said that this woman is

    Doing this test to you. No， I

    Said. I know she's not. I know something. I feel

    A hundred years old. Yet

    You don't look so bad， Patrizia said.

    Find another woman. I can't. I

    Know Patrizia said. But one always thinks it

    Is a good idea. But

    If you can't you can't. I

    Can't even eat

    This food Patrizia I said.

    I'm sorry I said Patrizia to be so

    Boring I can't stop talking Forgive

    Me. It doesn't bore me at all

    Patrizia says It's my favorite subject

    It isn't every day one sees somebody

    In such a state you can help him by talking to stay alive

    You know， Patrizia says if she

    Does this thing to you now

    She will do it again

    And again so you'd better be ready

    Maybe you can get the advantage

    By saying she is right you

    Don't love her Good bye You leave

    However if you want her

    You should go into the bushes

    And surprise her when they see you

    It always makes a difference

    I can't go hide there Patrizia

    That's insane⁷. I went but not

    Hiding and not confronting⁸.

    Patrizia： What did she say？ I said

    The same things. Patrizia said

    Did you see love in her eyes？ I said

    No. I didn't. I saw

    Something else. In Florence it's rainy

    Her （relatively⁹） short hair and

    Her eyes along the Arno

    The last time I'll ever see her again

    As the one I am seeing again

    When seeing again still has some meaning.

    It's finished Patrizia's saying

    For now but don't worry

    I think you will get her back

    But it will be too late. Oh Patrizia I

    Let my back and head fall against

    The chair Late isn't anything！

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