Distorted Reflections

What Do the French Quote?She loved to sit and listento me sing as she held meagainst her rings whilethe worm destroyed her.The caves to the east canbe followed by the sun.And she travelled thereamong the strangersfrom the sea.Like the bubble-islands inmy bath she never stayed thesame. And when shewoke she saw no one.She kept me warm with company.And we wouldwhisper for hours about thebooks she’d bought.Then I would watch herautomatic hand land and turnthe pages of some thin volumeasking what theFrench would quote.She asked about the river,and whether ’twas truethat glass never smashed there.I said it was so when I left.26