Second Guard
July 5, 2023When It Clears Up
July 5, 2023
Surprise Party
The turntable hacked up a melancholy blues
The air was heavy with dust and odors
Several zazous danced while holding to their hearts
Short girls with spasmodic behinds
In a closet, an amateur obstetrics couple
Delivered themselves to games full of art and naivete
Another in a corner attempted with ardor
Tonsil-coupling, to music.
Hands encountered one another under too-short skirts
Drunk, two lovebirds—(what if I said: two dodos?)
Looked everywhere for a bed; they were all full…
Let this happy youth screw itself
Why eradicate from them this impure manure
If their hope restricts itself to rubbing membranes?
Boris Vian (1920-1959) was a French polymath who is best known for his contributions to literature and music in the mid-twentieth century. Born on March 10, 1920, in Ville-d'Avray, France, Vian was a talented writer, poet, musician, and singer. He was a central figure in the French intellectual and cultural scene of the 1950s and is often associated with the existentialist movement. Vian's works were known for their irreverent humor and absurdist themes. His best-known novels include "L'Écume des jours" (translated as "Foam of the Daze" or "Mood Indigo"), "L'Automne à Pékin" (translated as "Autumn in Peking"), and "L'Arrache-cœur" (translated as "Heartsnatcher"). Vian was also a prolific songwriter and jazz musician and wrote and performed numerous songs that have become classics of the French chanson tradition. Despite his relatively short life, Vian's contributions to literature and music have had a lasting impact and continue to be celebrated in France and beyond.