XX

Q: Am I teasing you?

A: A parade of confessions:

1. I have begun to think of this as a painting. Matisse says he paints the things he
wants to see. By Matisse, I mean Picasso. By Picasso I mean that I do not know
what this would look like if I could see it. This will be our definition of loam.

2. I am uncertain whether the things I have stated with such conviction are true. In
fact, I have no recollection of writing many of those things. This will be our definition
of a river.

3. I have developed an acute sensitivity to earthquakes. I am aware of even the
slightest tremor. This may be related to my intimacy with the soil. By the soil, I
mean Celandine. By Celandine, I mean the moment when seismology takes a lover.

4. I have begun to think of this as a series of fluctuations.

5. The shortest distance between two people is not a smile. It is Zero. The shortest
distance between symmetry and loss is Design. The shortest distance between Design
and Zero is a mirror.

With all this in mind, we may have a new geography.

Q: What is the longest river in the world?