More from Alma, or the Dead Women

        "he was a rather unpleasant man a lot of the time, but he got away with much because of a certain talent. i mean that he was a shit. he groped women and slagged them off; it was especially women he was unpleasant to. he got away with a lot, he was called divine and beautiful and lyrical. in a dream or story he becomes sick, then sicker, vomiting. he becomes nicer, in a general way, and this progress is delineated in his final poem. he is closer to dying, he is nicer, he vomits, there is another beautiful line of poetry. he becomes milder, even sweet. he vomits. there is an intermission and some of us are walking upstairs. what do you think? is this the male way? to be a sonofabitch until that last passage, and then vomit out the poison? are we supposed to forgive him or what? has Cherokee forgiven America? they say the President is growing into his job. the little cretin is telling Americans to stay calm, things like that. should we forgive him for all those executions, or the fact that he's partially caused this, or maybe just because he's trying to be nice in some way we define as nice, or because we're all in a tight spot? i say no, he is just a little shit. why should forgiveness come from us? i want a world without forgiveness, it is obviously just another thing men make necessary, another urgency."