Alternative Universe

And then of course I spoilt it all by eating
ever so much more – ice-cream with hot
chocolate sauce, suffocated through the
night, perspiring and feverish, not even
the two nasal sprays and long-term
allergy pill could stop the symptoms

I keep on overtaxing my allergic system
having great difficulty to retain a hold on
the meaning of life while floundering yet
I keep on eating madly, surviving last
night by reading Terry Pratchett, hugely
amused by the wizards working out

Hemogoblins in the blood are craved by
vampyres; thrilled by Death’s arrival at
Miss Flitworth’s, becoming Bill Door, and
Mustrum Ridcully’s wizard hat adorned
with fishing flies, a pistol crossbow, the
point filled with brandy

The Archchancellor definitely is a treat; now
to return to the office and being alone in my
mind, pulling out of my body to escape the
allergy pain; maybe the allergy is teaching
me spiritual principles so I never become
attached to this earth

But keep wishing for an alternative
universe…


Feeling ill from overeating meant only one thing:
eating something else to balance the effect of the
previous meal, went down to the Wimpy and had
chicken mayonnaise, explaining to the manager
that it tasted like saw-dust and I was there in an
attempt at punishing myself

He agreed, said only seasoning made it edible, I
cannot have seasoning being allergic - then up-
ended the contents of the salt pot over the bread
and voilà, it tasted like something else, I enjoyed
my counterweight meal while reading about the
Archchancellor sharing his brandy

With the Chief Priest of Blind Io and Mrs Cake
being the bane of the priest’s religious life...

**********************************

Part Of It

Is having awareness the same as being alive:
any kind of awareness gives rise to making
choices, up, not down, sweet, not sour, hot
not cold, light, not darkness – I conclude
being aware, no matter how rudimentary,
means being alive

Therefore subatomic particles, quarks and
their constituents; are alive, because they
are aware and make the choice to be alive
not dead, to continue existence, and not
dissolve into nothingness and perchance
nothingness itself

Is something too - because it gives rise to
virtual particles and miniature black holes –
sharing awareness with everything is kind
of neat, it gives the universe a heartbeat
and I feel privileged to be part of it…

**********************************

Substitutiary Locomotion

Substitutiary locomotion in Bedknobs And
Broomsticks also described in Reaper Man
since Death absconded and all life was left
to float around, inanimate things like cobble-
stones and clothes, followed by dancing
shoes, fixtures unscrewing themselves

Life drifting about becoming poltergeists and
all things nice like ball-lighting; the wonderful
scene of war, played out in Pepperling - when
the marauding Danes came fighting, it was an
important place on the English coast - finally
the museum’s coats of arms and

The knights' chainmail came alive and fought
off the German invasion – while in Reaper Man
a wizard returned to life as he could not die with-
out Death’s presence, munching celery sticks
in his coffin as a steak – word pun on stake –
could not be found; zombies abound

Lurching happily – I hope to finish this day happily
also, in spite if the fire in my mind, caused by the
pain in my brain…


Reaper Man – Terry Pratchett Victo Gollancz, 1991

****************************************

An Exotic Location

Listen to a song of Comoran place names
quaint and beautiful: Ouzio Mitsamiouli and
Bandadaoueni, then Mandzissani as well as
Ntsorale Dimani, also Kandzile Mbadjini and
Foumbouni Badjini; Nioumamilima Mboinkou
and Ivembeni Mboude – I stare at these names
as they sing in my head, ouli, oueni, issani, ani
djini, ima, oinkou, oude – what an exotic location
the Comores Islands with place names like these...

***********************************

Zoo Or Chicken Coop

Although it is better to work in a zoo or chicken
coop than sitting all alone in a big, empty office
with only one’s own thoughts to keep one com-
pany; it is sometimes irksome as administrative
personnel get on with their lives in loud decibels
while we are concentrating

Laughing inanely in hertz adding to the feeling of
unfounded weltschmertz - but I have no reason
to complain, I am safe in my workstation with air-
con to keep me cool, with warm top and blanket
to face the cold I am better off than in the street
where heat of thirty degrees Celsius

Makes life uncomfortable for pedestrians – I prefer
to be here, grumbling under my breath, detesting
my boring document, dreaming about reading
Terry Pratchett’s brilliant similes and magical
scenes…

************************************

Mickey Spillane In Mali

Abdourahamane was going to visit his friend Mamadou
when Koureichi Diakite and Sekouba Coulibaly walked
into his lounge, holding two guns pointed at his heart

Laughing in a way that would have had Peter Cheyney
and Mickey Spillane enthralled by its sheer menace and
would have delighted nasty Dr No of James Bond fame

With its evil charm, but then Abdourahamane’s old friend
El Hassan Oold Louceinu with pin-point precision shot
the pistols out of our villains’ blood-lusty fingers

When the two thugs tried to flee, he shot each of them in
the knee - oh what fun to film this for television, so much
red paint and gory scenes all over the place!

***************************

White Rabbit’s Maid Maryann

Alice did not know what to do any more
nothing she saw resonated with her rest-
less thoughts, flitting about like an egret
looking for a place to nest, everywhere
she looked the world seemed alien and
cold, she wanted to talk to a friend, but
all were occupied:

The Lori was happily typing, the Crying
Gryphon was sobbing, the Little Oysters
were engaged in being disobedient, the
Walrus was encroaching on them, just
then she heard a call for the White Rabbit’s
maid Maryann and she set off, Madame
La Pompadour saw her leave and -

Called her back with a loud croak - Where
are you going, you naughty child - Alice
replied - To serve the White Rabbit, of
course - Mme La Pompadour cautioned -
Just beware of driving his Beamer, you are
a danger to yourself and all of society, you
should be removed from the gene-pool

Like all those animals who write letters to
the Queen of Hearts to complain about the
Court in Wonderland where the Mad Hatter,
March Hare and the Dormouse cause con-
fusion all the time - Alice curtsied nicely
and sped off to share half a cup of tea
with the much-maligned trio

Alice wanted to charge to the tea-party on
her trusty steed, her high-powered,
notorious Jeep…


Alice In Wonderland - Lewis Carrol