A NEW WORK
IT IS CALLED ‘KALENDER’
IT BEGINS ON JANUARY 3RD 2009
ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE SALES
IT ENDS ON JANUARY 2ND 2010
POSSIBLY WITH A LATE NEW YEAR’S LETTER
IN THE COURSE OF THOSE 365 DAYS
(WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO ADD AN EXTRA DAY,
A ‘BLUE’ JANUARY THIRTY-SECOND)
I WANT TO CARRY OUT A HUNDRED ACTIONS
IT IS A WORK IN TIME
ANNIVERSARY- NATIONAL HOLIDAY- HIGH DAY-
BLACK SUNDAY- MOTHER’S DAY- LATE OPENING ON FRIDAY
SECRETARIES’ DAY- 09/11- ALL FOOL’S DAY
(A DAY OFF- ‘LOST MONDAY’- THIRTEENTH MONTH-
IN 2007 CHAVEZ’ VENEZUELA
TURNED THE CLOCK BACK HALF AN HOUR)
I’M GOING TO SAW EVERYTHING IN TWO ON MARTINMAS,
BUILD A LITTLE BAR BEHIND AN ADVERTISING BOARD,
STAND ON TOP OF A TREE ON MAY DAY, GO OUT ON TUESDAYS,
FALL ASLEEP ON THE MEIR IN ANTWERP ON CHRISTMAS EVE,
DRESS THE TREES UP WARM IN WINTER,
REARRANGE THE WHOLE DELHAIZE STOCK
ACCORDING TO COLOUR,
RISE EARLY IN THE MORNING.
THE WORK WILL BE ANNOUNCED
AND WON’T,
YOU WILL COME ACROSS IT OR
READ ABOUT IT IN THE NEWSPAPERS,
MAYBE.
GEORGES PEREC WRITES:
“REMEMBER THAT A ‘MORGEN’ (MORNING)
IS A LAND MEASURE;
THE AREA THAT A FARM WORKER CAN PLOUGH
IN ONE MORNING.”