The Outsider
the baby was born in spain.
it was somewhere in the early 21st
century.
the spanish nurse who delivered the baby
being the first to observe its little body
announced to the mother in english
that the baby was the bearer of
twenty fingers.
the american mother all alone at this frightening moment in this foreign land burst into
uncontrollable tears.
the doctor who was still present asked the nurse (in spanish),
what's the matter with this woman.
the nurse said to the doctor (in spanish), i don't know. i just told her she has a perfect
and beautiful baby. you know, veinte deditos y todo.
the doctor said, just another hysterical woman. sedate that woman.
and don't let her near the baby, we can't have this hysteria here.
the mother seeing the needle approaching her, screamed louder, but could do nothing
to stop the shot. before she conked out she could still be heard gritando,
let me see my baby.
finally the spanish husband arrived and saw his hungry little screaming baby in the
nursery.
he asked (the nurses), why isn't the baby with it's mother feeding.
they looked at the chart and said, she was hysterical for no reason at all so we had to
knock her out, sedate her. perhaps she'll calm down when she sees you.
after sometime (the mother finally woke up) and found her husband there sitting by her
side and she said, we have a freak, our baby has too many fingers.
the father said, i saw our darling and he is perfect. all the right appendages. veinte
bellos deditos.
the mother said, the nurse said (s/he has) twenty fingers.
the father said, claro, naturally, como dios manda.
the baby was brought in and the mother quickly and carefully examined
her child. she counted five tiny fingers on each tiny hand and five teeny toes on each
little foot. she was relieved, but left in a state of confusion.
and it was too much and she was too tired and too happy all at the same time to try to
sort it out.
(Above is the correct version First published in Courting the Bulls.)
Tweet number 21 from: 100 Im/polite Days
You r amongst a group of cannibals &they have chosen 2 integrate u into their society. R u impolite 2 refuse 2 eat?
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once Upon a time we had known each other
at the elevator
we met alone <face to face>.
neither said hello.
i was inside, he was out.
he asked, up or down?
i said, down.
he said, i’m going up. i’ll wait.
we let the doors close, both of us.
he disappeared from view and
i went down.
​
From the Fundation la Caixa installation. Supraficciones: In-comunicación.
la campera, the foreigner y el novio
Estaba con él,
cuando ella me preguntó,
si (donde vivía yo)
tenía la misma luna que ellos.
Le respondí que sí
y ella me dijo: ¡Qué
romántico!
From: Small Talk
​
Conversation
I
wanted
to
say
more
than
'hello'
so
I
said
"¡Que
calor!"
​
From:
I displace the air as I walk
the light Travel(l)er
Where-ever he goes,
he carries two light bulbs
inside his bag.
He HAS his reasons.
​
From: The Saddle Stitch Notebook.