Man and woman watch each other lying in bed:
their two bodies stretched out wide and exhausted.
the man is still, only the woman takes long breaths
that quiver her ribs. The legs distended
...
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This is, for me, the satisfactory of the Pavese pieces. It is beautiful, but seems to lack any direction.
Hi Denis Joe, The flatness, nearly mechanical tone reflects the post-coital withdrawal he's describing, a condition I know only too well! There's no direction left but to roll over and fall asleep and, perchance, to dream hard.