AT THE CENTER 1977

DURING A MEAL BREAK IN A CAKE PACKAGING FACTORY IN 1977 AND SPINOZA AND GOD.

And the guy said
what are you reading?
the canteen guys that is,
smokers, jokers, newspaper

consumers, Spinoza, I said,
his philosophy:ethicae, never
heard of him, Don said,
moustachioed, bright eyed,

tall and lean, sounds like
some vegetable, Kevin said,
small, wise of lips, short thin,
Dei ornent in omnibus, I said,

what the f**k that mean?
Don said, frown of brows,
spread of lips, God in all things
or something like that, I said,

closing the book, taking up
my cup(cappuccino), all things?
Kev said, like in a dame's tits?
laughter, wide smiles, gazing,

guess so, all things is all things,
I said, I sipped my drink, and all
things in God? Pete said, short
and stocky, ex jockey, that is

the way of it I guess, I said,
non diffondere gemme prima
sciocchi I recalled the Italian
priest saying years before at

the abbey on retreat, can I see
the book of that Spinoza guy?
Don said, I passed him the book,
my page marked by a thin sliver

of card, he scanned pages, finger
skipping through, eyes intent,
dark eyes almost black, too darn
deep for me, he said, page 3 is

more your mark, Kev said, those
photos of girls with t*****s and all,
laughter, smiles, Don handed back
the book carefully, well at least

they say things to me, he said
grinning, Dieu au centre de tous
the French monk had said to me
at the abbey, his lisp barely moving,

the words air bound, I drank the coffee
and returned to my book, cigarette
smoke rose, someone joked of his
wife's new dress a size too small and

her efforts to enter, God, I translated
the French monk's words, at the center.