For A.B., as usual
1 / Collapse
Several times he seemed
ready to collapse
under the burden of
pain from unhappy love
Yet always managed
to pick himself up –
by his own scalp,
so to speak
But there were moments
when collapse seemed
the sweetest thing on earth –
the final breaking of those
iron rings in his heart region
that would manifest pure love
2 / Sweet
An infinite sweetness
bearing no relation
to the object of collapse
Something truly
unconditional – an oath
not to ever betray
love, that particular love
regardless of anything
that might happen
3 / Yearn
Despite it all,
in the face of despise:
there it is – near-blind,
sighful yearning
The more un-
fullfillable
the better
– James Steerforth ( © 2009 )
Written around Collapse, Sweet, Yearn from 3WW.




, and you knew exactly how much force was enough to send me into ecstacy. You can be so stern, you nasty man! And when you spoke Swabian to me! That made me wild! And your homemade spätzle was divine! You are the perfect man, James. So well read, so cultured, so knowledgeable, yet so unassuming, so humble. That combination drives me crazy (as you probably realized 