Enough of an Interruption

By ALAN FINLAY

 

It’s our wedding anniversary—i almost forgot.

  been drowning listening to bartók,
and when i say
drowning i mean—
you run bathwater
submerge yourself, exhausted
“ask daddy”

enough of an interruption:
can’t i switch the CD off
to play tarzan.
ok, just press stop.
wez stopf.
it’s the little square button,
and so on.
he’ll be back,
daddi thez so many square buttins
you in the bath

leaves falling in the other room

as he heaves

back down the two big

steps to me

naked

to complain.

 

 

Alan Finlay lives in Johannesburg and has published the poetry Burning Aloes, No Free Sleeping (with Donald Parenzee and Vonani Bila), and The Red Laughter of Guns in Green Summer Rain: Chainpoems with Phillip Zhuwao, and, most recently, pushing from the riverbank.

Click here to purchase Issue 04

From the beginning, The Common has brought you transportive writing and exciting new voices. We are committed to supporting writers and maintaining free, unrestricted access to our website, but we can’t do it without you. Become an integral part of our global community of readers and writers by donating today. No amount is too small. Thank you!

Enough of an Interruption

Related Posts

top 10 pieces 2025

The Most-Read Pieces of 2025

Browse a list of the ten most-read new pieces of 2025 to get a taste of what left an impact on readers. 2025 was a momentous year for The Common: our fifteenth anniversary, our 30th issue, even a major motion picture based on a story in the magazine.

The Ground That Walks

ALAA ALQAISI
We stepped out with our eyes uncovered. / Gaza kept looking through them— / green tanks asleep on roofs, a stubborn gull, / water heavy with scales at dawn. // Nothing in us chose the hinges to slacken. / The latch turned without our hands. / Papers practiced the border’s breath.