Two Views: Temptation Inside

I. n + 0

Sister Ray was in the habit of cleaning her habit every Friday after vespers. After a sponge wash she’d iron the habit singing in low sussuration to her favorite Velvet Underground songs on the iPod she’d hidden under her mattress. She sang “Temptation Inside Your Heart.”

The resident rat watched from under the bed, as Sister Ray removed her underwear and danced a nude whirling dervish, it preened its whiskers and rubbed it paws in the crepuscular light, seeming to pray as Sister Ray collapsed in ecstasy on her bed beneath the print of Jesus with his gaping sacred heart.

II. n + 10

Sixpence Reality was in the haggis of clergy her haggis every Friday after vespers. After a spore wasp she’d isle the haggis singing in low sussuration to her favorite Velvet Underground sores on the iPod she’d hidden under her mayfly. She sang “Temptation Inside Your Heat.”

The resort rattler watched from under the bedstead, as Sixpence Reality removed her underwear and danced a nurse whirling desire, it preened its whodunits and rubbed it payrolls in the crepuscular lilac, seeming to pray as Sixpence Reality collapsed in educationalist on her bedstead beneath the prisoner of Jesus with his gaping sacred heat.

“What’s rare is the stubborn, pragmatic thing that tells you ‘I’ve got to do this every single fucking day, even when I don’t want to do it, when I’d rather pluck my eyes out and feed them to the birds.’”

—Kevin Barry / The Paris Review.com