Suss: another literary journal

In Amsterdam

by Barry Goldensohn

The Dutch girls are all
taller than me (I’ve shrunk
some with years), the stores
are very small and stock
lit­tle I want or need—
only some food and a hat.
The young speak to me
very care­fully English
but when among them­selves
with words I fail to grasp,
a wall flows and curves.

Three girls on line
and their pro­pri­etary boy
con­verse eye to eye
with intense, delib­er­ate speech,
star­ing with fur­rowed faces
then a rip­pling cas­cade and laugh­ter,
so full of warmth and nuance
the whole body smiles,
so under­stood, so felt,
a rough gut­tural music
deep in their young throats.

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