I Am Alone And My Tears Fall Down

It is dark, in the garden shed.

Baby Pierre is waiting.

Something rustles above him.

Then Nina comes back.

That's better, says Nina, switching the torch on.

Baby Pierre looks up at dead leaves. But they are not moving.

Nina turns the torch off. We don't want to frighten the spiders.

Silence. They wait.

Do you have a family? whispers Nina.

No. Yes, says Baby Pierre.

It can't be both, says Nina.

Yes, says Baby Pierre. I have Ageless. He's my family.

Is he a giant rock? asks Nina.

He's a lobster, says Baby Pierre. He spends his time in the State Library.

But......begins Nina.

We both bear the Mark of the Claw, says Baby Pierre.

The spiders have been listening, amongst the dead leaves.

What a dickhead. He must have a mother.

Plop! A spider drops down.

........

Arthur, Sweezus and Ying have been to the Band Apart Gin Bar and Bongó Anaga, and are now at Let It Be on the Calle de Tolerancia.

Barrio, local crowd, music, poetry, painting, reads Ying. That'll suit you guys.

Anything by now would suit them.

Arthur and Sweezus sit down at a table. Ying goes to the bar to buy drinks.

Someone is reciting a poem, speaking rapidly:

then we came by night to the fortunate isles
and lay like fish under the net of our kisses

That's Pablo's poem, says Arthur.

Yeah, says Sweezus. Thought I recognised it. He's probably big round here. Why don't you do one?

Arthur stands up.

But reality is too thorny, at this moment.

He sits down again.

Why didn't Arthur do one? asks Ying, placing two jugs of Sangria on the table.

He's still thinking, says Sweezus. Why don't you do one? You're into that Middle Tang stuff.

Okay, says Ying.

She stands up and recites:

Where before me are the ages that have gone
And where behind me are the coming generations?
I think of heaven and earth without limit, without end
And I am alone, and my tears fall down.

Two or three locals clap politely.