Ladies & gentlemen. This old woman has sat
on the bank of the Liffey for three days
lowering the hem on hysteria. All while
she was sewing, things went on as uaual:

there were three downings, and a fishing party
posing for pictures. (A nurse from Bancroft
caught a brown trout, and held it way anove her head
like an enema bag. It waws Arthur who took that
photograph. It was ruined in the grass
along with the crabmeat sandwiches that had been packed
for afterwards. Everyone was poisoned
and seen leaning into the river.)

A young couple came along; they were singing,
and undressed on the bank for a swim
(the girl’s breasts moving out of the trees
separately like infant twins handed down
to the river for baptism.)
Later, when the couple were downing
she walked out to them: only their arms
were above the water, working like scissors.

They cut the thread for the old woman.

It was summertime on the Liffey. She told
me afterwards that she had felt very sorry
for all of them: shaking and wet,
the water was dripping from her dress
like a lowered hem.