Saturday, April 3, 2010

DREAMING IN THE CAVE WHERE THE SIREN SWIMS

PROUD POSILIPO

On a recent trip to Paris, I dropped in on my dear friend Currado Malaspina.

I reached him on the telephone and we agreed that I would come to his studio at 7:30 in the evening on Friday the 8th of January. I remember the date vividly because I had tickets for the opera the following night to see Anna Nerval as Salome.

I climbed the five flights of stairs at the appointed hour on the designated day only to find the following note tacked to his door: "Ne m'attends pas ce soir, car la nuit sera noire et blanche"

Typical Malaspina - rude, cryptic and irresistible - I broke into the studio, mostly out of frustration, though I told myself at the time it was in order to go to the bathroom.

On the walls of his studio were a dozen 10 foot high drawings all configured in the shape of a cross.
It was a staggering sight! 

Knowing that there was a strong likelihood that I would force my way in, Currado left another note  tacked to the wall near the light switch. 

"Mon front est rouge encore du baiser de la reine"

I suppose he had a decent excuse.