Page 112

By Jack Joseph Smith

/ 113 their pretense would be part of their livings Nothing seems different to then, Their minds have wondered through it all And look at the world calling them unintelligints wee have we done to our imaginations? God, it's a long long way back to a foreign master, and I am remembering my childhoods It just’ reached out and ghabbed’me by the throat and moved its fingers up into my haire Is uncombed agains So caught am I in my living pain of image; Yes, + am, more than alle “No lies Papa Yoes Youredead now; How long ago? Maybe a years It was raining, Yeasra black day with unbrellfas hovering over stone of faces and landmarks, 4 Who cared? The Bishop did, Ha ha, I am really laughing, .and Dani is turnings I see his face clearly in the dim blues 1 have made the desision to wander within the bounds my inmagination, can not touch, Please let more come home to me now as f walk to him; We have no ener we have chosen this symbol, That which can not be touched; that whieh can not be seen, that which can not be related, It has been five years; yet the world pretended to see us together in the same inviornenté We spilled out the same lies together, but refused to speak to each other about its My laughter ig so high and he is smiling, The reminissence of an era nither eats saw is epproachings The darkness must be kissed, Where have we been? The laughter is tovhigh and now I must touch him, , Hellog , ; Hello, Michael; Hello, hello Danifas What? And at once, what’ are we doing here? This laughter is attractive and attracting,. we once again said togethers i

Original Scan

Page 112

AI Interpretation

GPT

The reunion finally breaks into speech as Michael and Daniel greet each other in laughter and mutual surprise, with all the years between them suddenly crowded into a single unstable moment.

The actual words are simple, but the emotional charge comes from how overfull they are after so much distance and avoidance. Laughter arrives first because neither of them can yet say what the meeting really carries.

Claude

Michael realizes the moment of reunion is the one that has to be kissed, the reminiscence of an era neither of them saw is approaching, and he crosses the floor toward Danial with laughter too high to be anything but the right instrument.