and yet
the epistolary prognosis
of a certain non
avoidable dissension
I'd scanned the pages
for hand written notes
found what looked like
an ice cream smudge
on page 231
the back cover was
torn
I noted all this in my report
the committee meeting
was delayed due
to an erroneous claim
by certain members
that the prefect had
been detained
I left the hall and wandered
that night for hours
until my breath wa svisible and my feet
ached
stopping at a late night cafe
I ordered an americano
and was greeted with a profound
boredom from
the wall
my thoughts went back to the notes
I had collected
would it be sufficient
I went to the prison but they said he had been transferred
to a the hulking convict ship in the port
sadly, I drank my americano and ate a bag of chips
