ON THE MULTITUDE OF DISTRACTIONS... continued


DISTRACTION 4 (ECHO, THE NEW DICK FRANCIS NOVEL)
ex-jockey turned actor Josh Anderson lands in New York to meet his agent about a part in a new film.  Unfortunately, this is Deptember 11th 2001, and Josh's agent is killed in the Twin Towers atrocity.  With time on his hands, Josh sets out to discover who was behind the attacks, aided by an autistic howler monkey called George


DISTRACTION 5 (THE AFRICAN CONVERGENCE)
yet although overhead of Dar-es-Salaam is the same sun, it is an altogether bigger sun, plated in copper not gold and lower, more swollen, and the ocean although filled with the same origin of water is warmer and of a different hue, being less blue, but instead green, like the Colorado River at most times of the year, or the Ganges in summer, and within this same different ocean, at the point where (if viewed from a satellite in geostationary orbit) it fuses with the land are dark skinned people bathing, like and not unlike these people in the same different place to the north


DISTRACTION 6 (NEW YORK CITY, 9/11)
Josh moves towards the bar.  The barman is weeping, his tears flowing onto the stainless steel surface, overwhelming the stacked and folded beer towels like a swollen river of mercury breaching a line of multicoloured sandbags.  Josh wonders


ORGASM
beneath you the beating heart of the ocean is muffled by the gentle sighing of the ancient sands as they writhe softly beneath your pulsations


DISTRACTION 7 (THE GERMANIC NON-TRANSGRESSION)
then two Germans don't walk coincidentally past you


DISTRACTION 8 (CAP-DE-L'HOMY PLAGE)
it's a gorgeous day, even for mid September.  One handed, Josh steers the big Volvo into the car park, terminating with an affected French insouciance next to a battered white Peugeot.  The heat sucks at the air conditioned chill of the car.  From the top of the wooden steps, the flat ocean, glinting, crystalline, endless.  Above the immense aureate sun


ZERO
THIAN
FLIRT
ATION
Towel and book in hand
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Josh walks
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn  n down
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn  n the
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnwooden
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn steps
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnonto
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn  the
yellow beach
        

THE END

"On the Multitude of Distractions to be Encountered While Making Love to the Cap-de-l'Homy Plage" first appeared in Whispers of Wickedness in 2004, thereafter in Zygote in My Coffee, Word Riot and The Beat.
Copyright Dan McNeil 2004