then one of his followers
the gentle bon bon
said
dear mangy panther
tell us about happiness
tell us when you were the happiest in your life…?
at that
white hippy moses fell silent
and his gaze was distant
and the followers waited for his reply
finally he turned
and his olde face was filled with tranquil joy
and the women sighed to see him so
and the men looked at each other
and said
it is good….
in his sonorous voice
the prophet margin spoke
then let me tell you of my childhood
let me tell you of my kind mother
let me tell you about my patient generous father
and my 2 pleasant brothers
and times spent in peaceful lands
how i was never hungry or lonely
how my parents did their best to spare me from lifes cruel barbs
how we had many visitors in our humble abode
and how my father entertained with music n laughter
while my mother graciously prepared and served the food
and how
in those times long gone by
the children would wander further
unafraid of villains or kidnappers…
“for who would kidnap urchins like us
in these golden prosperous times..?”
and he spoke of swimming in lagoons n sea pools
in river mouths and on hotel rooftops
of the white sands of his adopted land
and the rockpools containing entire universes
and holidays in the glorious sun
palm trees and sea breezes
coffee shacks and red sunsets
the cane fields and the storms
the rain the park and other things
childhoods daze
unable to tell real from dream
astral travelling so easily out n gone
over wollongong n port kembla
vividly walking abroad as only spirit
oh the rich worlds only imagination allows us to enter
heroes gods monsters
all are real
always attracted by the strange
always attracted by the weird n eldritch
his imagination became inextricably intertwined with his mind
until i lived half within my own world at all times…
the olde marster stopped and looked around
i still do…..he said
at this there was laughter from his followers
although judas the wag was slinking off to try to betray him
selling him out to the “straights” for 30 cheap laffs
in an internet cafe in sheffield
bon bon was pleased with his answer
and he ventured a second…
the obvious question,
oh aphid in the roses, is this:
when were you most truly sad?
and the olde foole but still coole
answered thus:
the gear my friends
oh thou shalt beware the gear
for the gear is your enemy and will bring you undone
thou shalt not fuck with the gear!
and the mangy panther hissed and spat in disgust!
and his mother came out from the crowd
with her new improved knee
and she pacified her son
saying to the crowd
“cant you see my son needs to rest….?”
and his friend davem said master blaster
there is a large gathering here…
yet i have only 5 rediburgers with me
the saint who is no saint
took the burgers from his dear disciple
and said
aw
they shoulda brought their own bloody food
and then
he thoughtfully took a big bite
mmmm eggless mayonaise…?
delicious!