kathy and dad again
moving through the stately suburbs
gliding past the lovely gardens of the latter day lords
moving down into second
as we slow down outside the cenotaph
dad switches on his little chrome radio
and tunes in a station
some jazzy vibey thing starts up
what are you doing for the rest of your life?
sings some smoky womans voice
ah listen kids says dad
he whistles the trumpet part as we drive under a humpback bridge
kathy turns around from the front seat
and offers me one of her fruit gums
dad comes to a big intersection n stops
roads lead off everywhere
lights blink on n flicker
eat at joes
newsagent
doherty bros used cars
dorothy hair and beauty
cons milk bar
we proceed north towards the big smoke
i touch dads neck just below the hairline
oh how i love the way his hair neatly stops
for so many miles
sitting here in the back
have i contemplated this mans head and neck?
i stroke his hair all smoothed down
this is a dream, isnt it?
i suspiciously ask
nobody says anything
the car rushes through the streets with a smooth rolling sound
i cant remember yesterday
i cant remember tomorrow
i feel fate trapping me in its web
inexorably moving in on me
in for the kill
coincidences multliply geometrically
all hunches and whims appear justified
dad n kathy say nothing
we seem to be driving in circles
the circles getting smaller and smaller
until i cant bear the unbearable pressure
it gets tighter and tighter
a white hot spear of pain shoots up my spine
i begin to shake
i think
beauty must be convulsive
the dream is tearing me apart
the dream is perforated
letting in other crazy dreams
i collide with the characters of my life
banger pearson and all the roadcrews
everyone is let loose
anachronistic dismayhem
kathy finally speaks
now are you satisfied steven
marty n ricky drive past laughing
aunty lou does a line of coke at the paradiso
ploog and i at kindergarten in 1960
tom n paul verlaine running away from home
thru kentucky
and the cold kentucky rain
natalie dalton from richmond virginia
shes playing on her front lawn
and clouds swirl through misty cotton
robert lurie pops up in my garage
where baby grande is murdering another hopeless song
boydie and leesy shake their heads
isadora telambi takes off her clothes in a holiday inn
david neil lies on a bed and watches
dutch pierre tiptoes through his two lips
slagger slade from lyneham primary jams with the who
bob clearmountain on location says its a wrap
and the phone rings
in some parallel universe
i have an exhibition of paintings
someone wants to talk to me about it
huh?!