PoemAustralia Council, La Trobe University, National Library of Australia, Holding Redlich, Arts Victori

Tranter, John

Flinders Academic Commons

1 4     A U S T R A L I A N  B O O K  R E V I E W  N O V E M B E R  2 0 0 3P O E MOn La Cienega(After Schiller’s ‘A Maid From Afar’)John TranterBy the filling station on La Cienega a burger jointsomehow survives. This Sunday morninga pink Thunderbird sags at the kerb,and an old Studebaker, paint flaking.Suzy got a job waitressing there, she doesn’t quiteremember how or when. She turns up for workjust as the first bus trundles by, shifting gearsat the corner, the double diesel’s throaty roarmaking the plate glass tremble and glitter.She didn’t come from around there — nobody did.‘I left the Midwest — don’t ask me when,’she said once. This morning she gets the keyand goes to the john. The empty skyhas that pale hazy look that means a hot day.I like it when she stops to talk awhile.She brings a second cup of coffee, and‘You should try the espresso,’ she says. ‘God,I could do with a drink.’ But with the boss watchingshe makes sure to smile at the customers:old Ed with yesterday’s paper, the bag ladyfrom down at the Marina, who used to bea Hospitality Executive, if you can believe that,even that wasted couple in the cornerrubbing their arms and not noticing anything:not the spilled milk, not the cigarette burning downbetween the girl’s fingers, not even the viewthrough the speckled window: the hillscovered with dry scrub, and in the parking lota cop checking out their rusting carand talking on the radio. I can’t standlosers like that. ‘They just got married,’ Suzy whispers,wiping the counter and looking over her shoulder at them.Then she takes the little vase of flowers fromnext to the cash register and puts it on their table —and of course they don’t notice, the girl biting her nails,the guy staring into his plate — some daisiesthat she’d picked from a neighbour’s yardand a sprig of freesias the colour of cream and butterwhose dreamy scent competes with coffee and gasoline.Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.au 

On La Cienega (After Schiller's 'A Maid From Afar') [poem]

http://dspace.flinders.edu.au/xmlui/bitstream/handle/2328/423/14.pdf?sequence=1

On La Cienega (After Schiller's 'A Maid From Afar') [poem]

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