This piece should be accompanied by a soundtrack. In fact i have one. Such was the night I am about to describe that at one point, about 2am, I decided to get my voice recorder from my bag and make a tape of the wondrous cacophony which made sleep impossible. If anyone can advise me how to convert cassette tape to audio file and then load it to this blog I could give you a taste. Sadly this is way beyond my technical skills.
Night of the Dog
A Cessna light aircraft engine
whirrs in the corner blasting
cool air across restless bodies
in this small Vanuatu room.
Nurofen dreams of
a slipped disc disaster
gnaw at my brain.
Malaria tablets
rattle on the side-board
warning off blood engorged messerschmits.
A couple of cats
yowling and growling
beneath my window
sing their excruciating love song
tearing my sleep to shreds.
A dog yaps
yip, wiff, yip-yip
in rhythms no orchestra would recognize
yap yap in my head
in my room, under my bed.
haranguing the full moon
with his lament.
Dog cat cessna backpain
rain drums on the tin roof
clattering
spelling out staccato messages
tick tap drip throp-op.
Wind thrashes palm fronds.
The tarpaulin tied to the verandah rail
snaps back and forth
in time with my nurofen nightmare.
The dog barks and barks
through the full nurofen cycle
the Cessna engine buzzes
the air moves
the rain drips
the cats meow themselves to sleep
the palms rustle
my pain subsides
at the sun’s rise and
I understand why dogs
die in countries far away -
ingredients in secret recipes
guaranteed to satisfy
even the most ardent lovers of dog(s).
1 comment:
Steve - I'd enjoy hearing the soundtrack, but really - who needs it? You did a fantastic job with this. All that (excess) energy and racing mind of a sleepless night.
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