Daniel Rolf

Angela Lansbury’s Face

 

Sundays after the murder was solved mother would put brother and me in our beds and put on Angela Lansbury’s face. Murder, said mother, with Angela Lansbury’s face. Mother would say murder until she got it right with the face. Murder, mother would say, murder must be murdered.  Mother would say murderers must be murdered.  I want to murder murder, Mother would say. I want to murder murderers before they murder—murder murder through murdering murderers before they murder the murdered then murder the murder committed.  I want to murder murder with you, mother would say with Angela Lansbury’s face, do you want to murder murder with me?  Do you want to murder murder and murder murderers with me before they murder the murdered then murder the murder we committed? Mother would say to brother and me in our beds.  Or, do you want to murder murder through murdering murderers before they murder the murdered then murder the murder we committed, then murder me, then murder the murder you committed, you murderers?  Do you want me to murder you? Then there was a little little stillness.  Mother would take off Angela Lansbury’s face and fold it on her lap for a while. I don’t want you to murder me and I don’t want to murder you, Mother would say to brother and me and our beds. Mother would laugh until she got it right with her own face.  Mother and brother are now dead though not through murder.  Me?  I have Angela Lansbury's face.

Daniel Rolf's work can be found in Fence, Two Letters, and elsewhere. A short film he co-wrote with artist Jeff Calvert was selected for the 2010 Optic Nerve Film Festival at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami. He can be found at comerolfwithme.com.