San Clemente Poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

San Clemente is a mini state in the north of Portugal, just at the border of Spain,
it was founded by a flatulent bishop whose idea of healthy living was to let trapped
air freely flow. The town Clemente, is very charming with narrow roads meandering
around tiny village houses, car driving is not legal but you can hire a nice scooter.
I walked into a bistro ordered breakfast. The girl who took my order broke wind
I pretended not to hear, but I noticed similar noises came from tables where other
Clementinians sat; they also had perfumed hankies tucked in their sleeves which
they sometimes took out pressed to their noses, when not smoking strong
Turkish cigarettes. It was surprisingly cheap to rent or buy a flat there, thought of
renting, but the lady showing me round was so excited that I began smoking again.
But for me the freedom of releasing intestinal gasses at will was a liberty too far so
I drove across to border into Portugal and ate my dinner there in relative peace.
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