Observation De Nuit 1973 Poem by Terry Collett

Miss Pinkie stood
at the open window
of her apartment
looking out
at the night sky.

I lay in her bed
watching her
naked form.

We had made love
an hour before.

Can't sleep?
I said.

Too hot to sleep
she said.

I watched her
49 year old body
she was my senior
by 19 years.

Her hair dyed blonde
was over her shoulders.

Mahler's 1st symphony
was playing softly
on her radio.

Does your mother
know you come here?
She asked.

Yes of course
I said
but not what
I do here.

She turned
and looked at me
come see
these stars
she said.

I got out of bed
and walked over
and stood beside her
at the window.

She named
the constellation of stars
pointing them out
with her plump finger.

Pascal said
the eternal silence
of infinite space
filled him with dread
I said.

Who's Pascal?
she said
one of your
intellectual friends?

No he was
a French philosopher
I think
I said.

Beautiful though
she said
I love night watching.

We stood watching
the sky
a while
then returned to bed
and made love again.

The Mahler
symphony ended
then came the rain.