Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Jeet Thayil

The Art of Seduction

The Art of Seduction

The Art of Seduction

When the flooding in the basement got worse
she slipped into a silly dress

and danced to The Best of Nirvana.
The way she fell on the divan, her

arms open — The best thing for stress

you could have been some guy brought home
to read Confessions of an English Opium

Eater louder over Kurt’s guitars,

some guy who would spend the evening
cross-legged on a tatami mat,

listening for the words between the words.

Youth is wasted on the young
and wisdom on the old, you know that,

like the call of a rare, flightless bird.
Close

The Art of Seduction

When the flooding in the basement got worse
she slipped into a silly dress

and danced to The Best of Nirvana.
The way she fell on the divan, her

arms open — The best thing for stress

you could have been some guy brought home
to read Confessions of an English Opium

Eater louder over Kurt’s guitars,

some guy who would spend the evening
cross-legged on a tatami mat,

listening for the words between the words.

Youth is wasted on the young
and wisdom on the old, you know that,

like the call of a rare, flightless bird.

The Art of Seduction

Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère