A LOVE SONG FOR 1001 NACHT

I love the roundness
of his counterweights at the top.
I love him for the narrowness of his jibs.

I love him for the elegant lines
of his gondola,
which is now covered up for the winter.

I like the ribbing,
up underneath his main display
—the parallel lines that are coming down—
I love that.

Because, 1001 Nacht,
as I have told you many times before,
and I will many times
repeat it: I love you.

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SOURCE AND METHOD: The source was a documentary about Objectum Sexuality (the sexual attraction to inanimate objects) titled, ‘Married to the Eiffel Tower’. OS People, as they are called, believe that their love is reciprocated, and that they can telepathically communicate with their inanimate lover(s). I have transcribed dialogue from one particular subject–a woman who fell in love with an amusement park ride called ‘1001 Nacht’–and rearranged it as a sort of modern sonnet.

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Mathew Weitman is a New York-based poet, musician, and writer. His work has appeared in the Ekphrastic Review and Plum Tree Tavern. Additionally, he has spent extensive time in the Fukushima prefecture with the eminent potter and zen monk, Fumio Ito. Much of his writing is inspired by his travels and volunteer work.