NO, NO
I don’t know why she’s so strong.
YES
“You want me to show you a little something about the natural world order?”
FUCK YES
She’s squeezing into my larynx.
FUCK ME
“You’re a worthless little shit. I do what I want with you. I’m the fucking psycho here. You got that, suka?”
WHAT’S THAT
My eyes are bulging out of my skull.
“You want me to rape you with my fist?”
AMEN, YOU TOUGH CUNT
I’m choking on the lack.
SHE LETS GO
I drop to the floor.
GASPING AT HER FEET
“Bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
POEM
She lies back on her bunk and pulls her sweatpants down. She tells me to look where she’s pointing. She’s pointing between her legs. She’s wearing a neon pink lace thong. Its threads are glowing on her shade-less skin. She pulls her thong to one side.
“Well…?”
Her two lips are pale and gleaming.
HORIZON
“See. I’m wet all the fucking time.”
SHADOW
“Help me,” Tanya says.
THE OPEN SKY
She takes her fingers and pulls her lips apart.
PARUS
Peeking out.
I’m still catching my breath.
NAUTICAL
The eye.
I’m still on all fours.
NAUGHTY
The storm.
“Come here, I said.”
DEATH
She lays her head back and closes her eyes.
OLGA, OLGA, OLGA
“Suck the darkness out of me.”
LOVEBIRDS
“Well, well…” the guard is swinging her baton at her hip. “What do we have here…”
Tanya pulls her pants up and looks at me. “Get the fuck up, you gross bitch.”
I lift myself off my knees.
THE GUARD GIVES TANYA A WINK
“Having a good time together?”
TANYA LOOKS AT THE GUARD HEAD ON
“I’m going to pluck that eyeball out of your eye and shove it up your constipated ass if you ever wink at me again.”
THE GUARD SMACKS THE BARS WITH HER BATON
The metal echoes off tune.
“Watch your language, Tarasova,” the guard shouts.
MY LANGAUGE?
“This language?” Tanya says. “This piece of shit junk-ass language isn’t mine.”
MERCY
The guard taps her baton on the bars with a sly mouth.
“Back off Tarasova, I’m not here for you. Bokuchava!” she yells at me. “You have a visitor.”
ONCE, TWICE
I jerk up from myself. Tanya’s gritting her teeth.
“Move your ass, Bokuchava,” the guard says, “I said you have a visitor.”
I step forth warily. Tanya watches me.
MY VISITOR
Powder-pink cardigan buttoned to the top.
“Hi, Olga,” she says.
SALLY
Tanya jumps up. She grips the bars with her hands.
“Sally, Sally!” she chirps off key.
KNUCKLES DOWN
The guard yells at Tanya. She takes her hands off the bars.
“Visitor’s not for you, Tarasova, it’s for your girlfriend,” the guard says. “I said, step back.”
TANYA STEPS BACK
“When I get out of here,” she whispers, “I’m going to do all the things to you that stretch out your void.”
BACK DOWN
The guard hits the bars with her baton.
“You don’t scare me, Tarasova, you know why?”
“Why,” Tanya cringes.
“Cause you are never, never, never getting outta here, my little one.”
WELL
Sally clears her throat.
“That’s enough of that, wouldn’t we all agree?” Sally proposes.
WHATEVER YOU SAY, CRAZY MAMA
Tanya mutters.
THAT’S RIGHT
Sally continues. She looks at me.
“Tanya has a strong character. She calls me Crazy Mama, though I am still not so clear as to why. But I prefer Sally, if you don’t mind.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Tanya interrupts. “You here to tell us a joke or what?”
COME ON
Tanya grinds her teeth.
“Tell us a fucking joke, Crazy Mama.”
INCANTATION
“Joke, joke, joke!!” Tanya is chanting.
SHHH
Sally puts her finger to her lips.
“Sure, honey, one joke for you and your new roommate.”
I DON’T WANT TO HEAR A JOKE
“I don’t know you,” I tell Sally, “and I don’t like you.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Tanya tells me.
I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE
“Top news…” Tanya rolls her eyes.
JUST LET ME MAKE ONE CALL
“Step away from the bars,” the guard tells me. “Let your visitor tell you a joke.”
FOR FUCK’S SAKE
Tanya yells. “I’m gonna fucking kill everyone here if I don’t hear a fucking joke right now!”
THE JOKE
“A squirrel goes to a therapist,” Sally begins, “and the squirrel says, Doc, is it true that you are what you eat? Sure, the therapist says, yes. Yes? Yes. The squirrel sighs, defeated. What’s wrong? the therapist asks the squirrel. Well, Doc, the squirrel replies, in that case, I’m completely nuts.”
THE GUARD IS LAUGHING
It’s all splinters and phlegm.
TANYA IS LAUGHING
Her laughter is dressed-up and loud. It has the gloomy confidence of a sacred procession gone wrong. A wedding between the henchman and the decapitated.
WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM
“You don’t think it’s funny or what? Or you too much of a dumbass to get it?”
LEAVE HER ALONE, TANYA
Sally says. “You got your joke.”
HONEY
Sally’s voice is delicate.
It’s directed to me.
“I told you,” I say to Sally, “I don’t trust you, whoever you are.”
A SECRET
Sally whispers through the bars, “You’re going to have to trust whoever I am.”
DOWN, DOWN
Sally tells Tanya to stay. Sally tells me to go.
I’m pulled out of my cell and the guard drags me by the arm behind Sally. Hallway into hallway. There is a dead end. Another cell. Two empty bunks. A body in shadow. In the corner. Crouching beside the steel toilet. He lifts up his head. Pale face with those dark curls and his one blank eye.
“Misha…” I whisper through the bars.
His good eye finds me.
I’M HERE TO HELP YOU
“Leave me alone,” he says through his hands.
“I know, I know, I know I should have come earlier. I should have come looking for you, Mishenka…”
“Fuck, Olga. My name is Moshe now.”
TIME
“Yes,” I say, “yes, I’m sorry, yes, Moshe…”
MOSHE
“They’re saying you stabbed somebody…” I tell him.
He drops his head and covers it with his palms.
“I think I’ve broken the sixth commandment. I’ve dropped it and broken it. It was my favorite one.”
ARE YOU SURE
“Moshe, listen to me, I think you were set up,” I say hurriedly. “I was set up too!”
BROTHER, SISTER
He takes his hands off his face and stands up. He extends his arms forward, spreading his fingers out wide. There is a moment I think he is
