Page 155

By Jack Joseph Smith

154 smell of cooking blood, .The day had passed on with the invisible minds of Enda laughing at each other between the guzzling of peers, One by one we began to pick the stakesoff the fire and rip them apart with our teeth, The juce dripped dow the sides of our mouths-end out lips licked the sent, as ‘the stars began to shows Girls im black began to pass back and forth, and become one with their mystery in ours eyess’ Lullabys were-heard between laughter walking over distant hills; The breeze was warm, byt the heat was gone and the grass moved in a steady sound beneath use Through the night’ silver buckles would shine on girls waists, and young men». would walk around Lookings' The young mer heads would be bent, except when they were with song or in conversation, Desire was in the flashing eyes of a giggle, and once a young man had set out to find his preyy the laughter and the eyes would begin to fall slowly: There were kisses on the breath of girls sighs, that floated past my brow; There was.the sound of humming beneath their black and yellow dress of the bee, Sting me, gnd I will let my breathing follow you on the passageways: of your moon withoyt color smiles Everyone went into the part of their own part, and stared directly beneath their own shadowag The stakes had’ gone to only a special fews. and envy was surely passing in the guts of every man left without. Cheer cheer, for old Notre Dame, Wake up the echo's cheering her names Kill that song, Murphy saids Kill: you Murphy; Beaver saids . Listen Beaver, said Murphy, I-saw one of your school mates touch your sweetheart, She is your sweetheart, isn't she? When? A little while ago, on the other side of the parvillions *\

Original Scan

Page 155

AI Interpretation

GPT

Steak juice, girls in black, warm grass, envy, Notre Dame songs, and Murphy's taunt about Beaver's sweetheart turn the evening from appetite and flirtation toward grievance and challenge.

The page is sensuous and ugly at the same time, full of meat, desire, and status hunger. What pushes it forward is not a principle but a small male insult, the kind that can tip a whole loose crowd into attack.


Claude

Notre Dame boys start a fight song, Murphy claims one of their school mates has touched Beaver's sweetheart on the other side of the pavilion, and the powder keg is lit — the keg, the steaks, and the college boys colliding.