Echo Beach

His redhaired son and Little Mermaid daughter are asleep A sea breeze whispers them goodnight Kashmir Weaves with cigarette smoke and talk Out into the dark of the olive grove below Far away in time Christos Family man Silversmith Friend Shirtless we push the wine bottle and conversation forward and backward like chess pieces while A mantis knits and watches from the warm wall We’ve agreed that Sotirios Kyrgiakos has settled well with Rangers And what the thing about women is Sheila at his side tuts in the Greek way that has become her Fans herself Strokes his leg That Independence Day is Philip Roth’s best novel Sheila and the mantis both look up but say nothing That sometimes you just wish … Then as a dog barks somewhere out in the night Stalemate. Was it Ultravox or Martha and The Muffins?