I went to a man who read my hands.

He said I'm trying quite hard to understand
do you write with your left hand do you write with your right hand?

I said I write with both hands man

'cause they forced me to change at school man

but I had other plans.

​

I had other plans. 

​

He says “So, you're ambidextrous,

don't expect me to be impressed 'cause
I don't care which hand you write with

or which way you dress”

​

Which makes me wonder why he asked.

So I stretch out my arms, trying to keep calm, 
and for a while the lines in his forehead

are like the lines in my palms. 

​

He says

​

“You've got a problem with the future.

You think understanding it doesn't matter.
You're unfaithful in your thinking.

You're ambitious, too ambitious, it gets you down. 

You're judgemental, critical,

you hate the superficial

but use appearances

to judge other people. 

You're lazy, determined,

selfless, self-serving.

Just depends what mood you're in."

​

“So you want to get away from the humdrum.

Fine, find your own sweet oblivion.

Take the motorway round the urban sprawl

before it kills us all.

But as the music plays it seems so beautiful…”

​

He says

​

“Your soul is like pieces of broken glass in a hollow tree.”

…and I'm thinking it's none too flattering

he's staring at the hands he's holding.

My wrists are aching.
 
“You'll never let down a friend

unless he lets you down first 
But you're so bad at revenge

you always come off worse”

​

And now the room seems darker,

but outside the sun is shining.
I can see a smile is forming on his lips,

and after an age he turns to me and says

​

(He says)

​

“One day you'll soon find yourself at a party,

there will be a girl there.

Her face will seem familiar.

It will remind you of someone you haven't met yet.

​

The next night you will find yourself at a party.

There will be a girl there who will remind you 
of the girl you saw, at the party, the night before.  

 

You'll find her easy to talk to.

She'll seem to like you

because she reminds of the girl you saw

the night before.”

​

© Tobias Zaldua