The Sea Lion Pipe

By Claudio Parentela

The opposite side is inserted into the right eye breaking up into a thousand streams of colored

stars, which sometimes fall one on top of the other confusing and confusing me. It's strange

and beautiful, this continuous fall, it's whirling, I can't stop it in any way even if I wanted to.

My hand becomes as big as a mountain, it detaches itself from my body and becomes a tractor

that grinds up earth and my nose. I've gathered my few things, I've made a strawberry cake.

I swallow it whole without ever looking back. Behind me are the usual ants, my faithful friends.

They greet me joyfully and I think they must be telling me something. But it's too loud to

understand them, I can't hear any of their important message.

It's already night and I realize I'm still wearing the same pajamas I was wearing two nights ago;

I've always had them on. But how much me has passed? It doesn't matter, I like spending all

my me with my ant friends. I show them my latest paintings and ask what they think. But I

have to stop right away because the rainbow dragon has arrived and wants the last three

months' rent paid. I tell him firmly that I'll pay it whenever I feel like it, which is, never. Listen

to the rustling of the leaves, it's beautiful, isn't it? The wind is light and caresses my old skin

like a square balloon. Sometimes, often, never, I think that two of us are too many and that

maybe three is better. Even if it's difficult to communicate, it's not necessary. So I finally decide

to get dressed, because it's cold, and I put on a coat, scarf, and hat. I go out and fall repeatedly

on the stairs... I fall and fall again and find myself walking on my hands because my feet have

become two yellow and green umbrellas.

I want to paint because I bought beautiful new colors, and I'm curious. I mix them and they

smell so good that instead of using them for my painting, I eat them all... I'm full now and I

see that my stomach has become my last beautiful painting. I hang myself on a wall in front

of the mirror and I really like my stomach-painting and I want to sell it to the rainbow dragon

even if he's so ignorant, but I need the money because next month I want to go to Pluto via

Saturn and Mars, and I want to take my ant friends with me. Claudio Parentela

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1958661368
• ISBN13: 9781958661369
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Tofu Ink Arts Press Brian L. Jacobs
• Length: 354 Pages
• Weight: 1.71 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.0" x 8.0"