METHONI

Why write? asks Philip Roth in

the title of his new book,

and why indeed? You should have

stayed silent, Horselover.

Silence is golden,

to speak is silver.

(But I have always

been comfortable with silver.

I once wrote an essay

'How silver united China to world economy'.)

Cheers for no mention of

your name in this year's Nobel Prize

speculation, Horselover.

Thanks for having stopped writing.

(Yes, I have a grudge

with the man,

a lot of arrow points

carrying his name.)

It must be thirty years

since I read 'Goodbye Columbus',

still remember having it

in my hands on the schoolyard.

Sun was shining,

but the season - beyond

lack of snow - has

been erased from my memory.

I wish

you were

dead, Philippos.

Only the United States and Israel

have a right to criticize Israel.

I am quoting non-verbatim,

raising it from the

echoing halls of memory,

Horselover, so that's

unlikely to be exact.

But ever since I

read that, I have

never missed a

chance to criticize

you, Horselover.

Never will miss.

04.10.2017