Waiting To Happen

In the Jetty Café, Gaius is ordering his chips.

Arthur is explaining to Amanda that Gaius is a natural historian, as well as a cyclist, and that he, Arthur, is a cyclist as well as a poet and part time right hand man.

Jinjing has arrived at the café. He flies across to their table.

Arthur! says Jinjing. Have you got any paper?

No, says Arthur.

I have, says Amanda. How much paper?

One sheet, says Jingjing. And a pencil.

She hands him a sheet of paper, and a pencil.

What happens now?

I rose through adversity, (says Jinjing)
And flew to the Ash Blue Mountain.
This is my story.
I once had a button...

Once I had a button, says Arthur.

You never told me, says Jinjing. That makes us blood brothers.

Not me, says Arthur. That was the fourth line. Once I had a button, not I once had a button.

I think I once had a button is better, says Amanda.

Fair enough, says Arthur.

It's my poem. I can change it, says Jinjing. But in truth, I'd forgotten. That's why I want you to write it down, before it becomes as it was before I composed it.

There's a concept, says Amanda. What is a poem before anyone's composed it?

Waiting to happen, says Arthur.

Gaius comes back to the table with hot chips.

I ordered a share bowl, says Gaius. Tuck in. What's that paper? Is it one of mine?

It's for Jinjing's poem, says Arthur. We're writing it down. But first he has to remember the words it's composed of.

Don't worry, says Jinjing. I will.

I wrote a poem once, says Gaius. Let me think. What was it?

Something in Latin, about boating, says Arthur.

Yes! says Gaius. Boating. I took my inspiration from a warning sign at the sea side. Of course, the sign was in English.

He chews a hot chip, recalling his poem.

Naves non licet
In regione flava
Signum non leget
Non ante naves.

That's it, says Arthur.

But what does it mean? asks Amanda.

No vessels allowed in the areas marked in yellow, says Gaius. But the sign is not facing seawards, so that no one in a boat would be able to read it.

So few words, to say all that, says Amanda.

That's the beauty of Latin, says Gaius.