kilbey move deeper into time
the race nearly run
goodness n mercy still ahead
bad olde days behind
one of lifes stillpoints
a haven of calm
then
on the way to the airport in the eighties
pick up ploogy from balmain
flying off somewhere
ploogy lights up in the taxi
hey can i have some of that !? says driver
we drive off with driver somewhere
we sit at an industrial estate near airport
smoking pot with cab driver
we get out and wander through debris
when its time to piss off ploogys gone missing
neither me or driver know the time
and i cant remember what flight we’re on
or even where we’re going
i fumble around in my suitcase
which explodes in paisley shirts and cassettes
dont worry i switched the meter off says the cabbie helpfully
finally we arrive airport
somehow ploogys there…
by the time we hit our seats we’re fried
i pull out my worksheet
its like every town on the east coast of australia
we land somewhere
someone hires us a car
the other 2 drive off somewhere
me n ploogy get a cab
we try to check in to the wrong hotel
eventually i get into my room
ploogy comes bursting through a connecting door
his ghetto blaster is blasting dub reggae
and he stands on my balcony smoking more dope
we regard the city and the sea beyond
it seems these days will go on forever
people scurry around in the streets below
we have escaped that world
we are indolent intoxicated and spoilt
a plate of toasted cheese n tomato gets delivered
and a couple of banana smoothies
theres a knock at the door
ploogys friends arrive to take him out
his friends always piss me off
n these are no different
but they produce some thai buddha sticks
this was a ten dollar commodity
that consisted of some heads of marijuana
kinda tied or stuck to these little stakes of wood
after a while they produce some little square bits of cardboard
on each tiny square is printed a blue dragon
ploogy rips one in two
cmon i’ll go ya halves
as he pops his into his gob
and washes it down with the rest of his smoothie
he and his friends laugh and depart
they leave a trail of cigarettes and empty coke cans
in my room
go in the bathroom
have a piss
check myself in mirror
pale thin
long dark hair needs a wash
black stubble on my chin
i’m standing there
when the whole mirror starts to ripple
and i remember that ive taken some lsd
i stumble out
down the corridor
the other 2 are checking in
hi they say coldly
as i pass them by
out in the courtyard is a swimming pool
i walk over squat down and dangle my fingers in the water
how long do i stay there
watching the sunlight moving in the water
reaching but never quite grasping
some huge elusive truth
its eleven oclock in the morning
who am i?