reedy n me drivin along thru the desert
in reedys infinity
reedys fiddlin round with the stereo
man hes got some weird stuff
popol vuh
neu
some french guy who does this sci fi thing
the roof slides back
the hot dry air rushes in
my thin fine hair flies up in a tornado
reedys huge beard is parted into a fork
vultures way up in that cloudy angry sky
the weird music n the weird scenery n the weird drugs
make everything combine in my system
i cant tell if im hearing the scenery
or looking at the music
kraut rock from the 1970s
desert from now
the desert is now
the desert allows no memory or projections
the desert has been waiting for me patiently
the desert in so many of my songs
the desert says at last
youve come home to me
stop the car
i say to reedy
you dont wanna get out steve he says
its 120 degrees out there n everythings gonna wanna kill ya…
no no its alright i say
he shrugs his shoulders
i climb out
the sun is excruciating
i stumble over rocks n stones
i look back at reedys white infinity
but everything has vanished in the heat haze
everything has disappeared
i am in the wilderness at last
the hinterland
the no mans land
things rustle n slide n move
i am no longer afraid
and then
miracle of miracles
the sky opens up
a blessed monsoon
i see the cactii snatch the rain from the air
small colourful birds appear and scatter
a fox or coyote in the distance all bedraggled
the rain falls around me but not on me
the desert protects me with its warm arms
the desert says you were always mine
the desert says youre tired, sleep a little
a small dark woman appears outta nowhere
i try to talk
she holds her finger to her lips
she is old beyond years
she is younger than tomorrow
her nose is like a hawks
her hair is black threaded with blue n white
her nails are like talons
her eyes are like 2 black stars
she shakes her head slowly
as she looks at me
we are in her house suddenly
i try to sit up
i say but reedys waiting for me back there
she smiles but she doesnt understand
its dark n cool in here
a desert owl perches on a windowsill
half in half out
the smell in here, strange yet familiar
something ive smelt before like herbs or something
markings on the wall must be navaho or something
the monsoon keeps on falling
she opens her back door and an ocelot strolls in
elegantly grooms itself n stretches out
on the cool stone floor
she gives me some food
im a vegeta….i begin to say
she holds out her hand towards the food
please eat now her eyes say
its some kind of soup
its delicious
she reaches out takes my hand n squeezes it
she says something at last in a language i have never heard
but i understand the meanings
youve wandered long my husband
no no theres some mistake i try to say
but the words come out all wrong
the mirror on the wall in the gloom
reflects some other face than mine
older n younger than mine
long nose, black hair, dark eyes
its you she says
the real you

the desert is outside
its all around
its everywhere
to think that there are oceans and cities out there anywhere
to imagine offices with fluorescent lives
pop charts n maps of love
to try to remember someone elses life
the people
the rush n the noise
well its impossible
the desert banishes these fictions
theres no fucking internet
theres no traffic jams n starbux
theres no sydney harbour bridge or eiffel towers
theres just the desert
and it looks after its own
and the cactii bloom and we make sweet sauces from its flowers
the underground water is cool n refreshing
the beasts stay outta each others way
one day i walked with the ocelot further than ever before
we came to a white car rusted on the side of a road
overgrown n reclaimed by the desert
i looked up real close
the car musta been there for years n years n years
there was a badge that was rusted away
but where the letters had been
i could still read the word
infinity