Sparring Partner

a monkey without a story,

she says about him,
that he lacks memory
at the bottom of dark gloves
but his gaze a veranda,
time will tell and you'll see,
that he ventures into the jungle,
no, never meet him

I looked deep into the game
is that all? but - you know -
I'm an old sparring partner
and I've never seen
a calmer more tiger-like,
more secret than this,
take the first bus, go away
everything already returned to poetry

He's over forty
and certain applause by now
are due out of love,
never meet him
he was there in his smile
to watch the trams go by,
an old elephant track
laid over the macadam