inside is nothing
outside is nothing
some kinda seamless trick
life..well what do you know
its got us all reeling
even the smart guys like you
they warned me
they all warned me
you warned me
you all warned me
should do that
shouldn’t do that
but i’m beyond all that
you have no idea
the sky is the limit
i ride along in vans with the players
i go backstage and sit in the empty quiet green room
i see the hydraulics that animate the shows
i look in mirrors where the famous faces have all fled
the mirror is blank
the lights in the rooms flicker ever so slightly
we have our modest lunch
some soup and bread
albert drinks some green wine
rama has a little sleep
neum and i go out the back
where the alibi river flows
through marshes and factories
eventually emptying into the thankless sea
neums practicing his lines and fiddling with his strings
he idly smokes and thinks out loud
a dreamy stream of conscienceless inklings
yeah i remember so n so he says
exhaling like a lazy gryphon in the sun
yeah he was at that show we did in the park
lovely guy lovely guy…what was ‘is name again…
oh i remember ….no no…it wasnt that…
but anyway (neum went on) oh thats right..
this theatre he went to….
whole place was run by ghosts..ha ha..
no i didnt believe ‘im neither…you wait n see ‘e said
you’ll bloody laugh on the otherside of yer face then…
neum scratched his blonde/grey head and stubbed out his smoke
you know what laddie…..?
he leant in close
i could smell his aromatic menthol and camphor lilt
this is the place
right here..?
tonight !
but theres no one here…yet…
oh yes said neum …theyre here
as the afternoon grew longer and the air grew colder
i began to see
neum touched my arm once gently
as we were unfurling the screen
and he beckoned me to look…look there
and…yes….i could see
at one moment a shadow
an indentation …like a damaged mirror
like everything around it became slightly bent
like a disturbance in the surface of reality
but then as i watched
for the briefest flash
there stood a woman dressed in dark clothes
i could see every detail of her face and hair
well i’ll be …neum muttered in the darkness
of the orchestra pit
where we were working
and i tried to stifle a shiver
the air smelt momentarily of ammonia and it was gone
rama appeared at our sides
no need for unease , gentlemen he said
in his usual business as usual fashion
just carry on preparing the show…
suddenly