in the hinterland
outlying areas
small towns you never heard of
evans beach
emerald heads
dalton
mermaid river
valhalla park
sleep in the car beside the sea
at night the rolling surf drums on the shore
you listen to your radio and smoke
you fade into the songs yourself whole
you live each song in your blue car
the songs of that era
in the night beside the black and silver sea
no moon to illuminate your heart
faint stars only
and youll never get to sleep like this
all the love songs strip you back and sensitize you
you start to pickup on small details
realms you assumed uninhabited
the way the distant stars were in communication
the memories of people who used to live hereabouts
another song comes on the station drowning in static
someone has set one of mozart
or beethovens most beautiful pieces to rocknroll
and some girl is singing these words in my car
thru a tiny tinny radio speaker in a mazda
in the inky darkness it is a revelation
listen she sings
is it that i have always loved you
or was it a dream i had
in another life
answer me darling
oh tell me…
and the song is swallowed in white noise
and advertisements
shortwaves trying to focus in
blips on a faraway radar
the night is absolute
the sea once blue and inviting
contains unspeakably monstrous things
the shadows in the sand threatening
the wind whines in the barbed wire
how old are you i ask myself
how old am i you ask yourself
you see
it doesnt matter which way you ask it
you and i interchange able
projection and transference complete
you start the car
pull back onto the highway
your headlights shine through your own dust
the station totally tunes out
and the silence is taut with meaning
you pull into angel rocks at 3 am
drive into the caravan park then
a guy gets up and turns on a light
can i rent a caravan you ask
its been a long night you might as well add
the guy is wearing a dressing gown
yeah ok he says
he tosses you some keys
its the blue one down there with the light still on
jus’ for tonight ? he asks
you shrug
dunno notshore
ok see me in the morning he says
ok you say
drive down to blue one with light on
undo the door
its warm and stuffy but not unpleasant
crisp sheets
some arrowroot biscuits in cellophane
a low rounded roof
small cupboards
moths buzz around
the odd mosquito too
slap!
fucking things!
slap!
you pull off your clothes
and lie down in the caravans bed
its too short for you
but youre so so tired
its safe in here
safe to dream your dream
safe to slumber
neutralized
passive
still