John Budan

“What am I doing here?”

We both described ourselves as trim, financially secure, and interested in gourmet foods. Neither of us smoke, use drugs or alcohol. After agreeing to meet at a cafe on Boulevard St. Germain, I arrive to see an overweight young woman smoking a Gauloise and sipping absinthe. Naturally, she deceived me, like all the others, yet, I’m intrigued because she is reading a book by Rimbaud, my favorite poet. We end up spending the perfect night together, drinking cheap wine, eating American potato chips, and discussing poetry until dawn.

latin quarter
late night rustling
of turning pages

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Note: Title quote from French poet, Arthur Rimbaud.

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About the Author

John Budan has published widely. He lived in France where he found his alter ego Guignol in Paris at the Jardin du Luxembourg.