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Monday, November 12, 2007

~ sublime prismatic skin

The rain god Tlaloc disgorged his bounty right on time. Every child got in a few solid thwacks before he gave up its guts. Good guts, too. Save, perhaps, the Asian ‘corn-flavoured’ lollies, many of which were instantly spat out …


A five year old’s party is usually a brief affair, but this one stretched through a long languid afternoon. The reptile handlers were wonderful and so were their reptiles. Turtles, lizards, frogs - pythons slithering over every second guest. Beautiful creatures – including the rainbow serpent of legend with its sublime prismatic skin. One kid even scored some sheddings...

Lemon, whom I have mentioned before – darkly - resembled an eldritch Bianca Jagger, pontificating on some dreadful subject, as Aleister Crowley’s reincarnation writhed on her upper body - as her cuckoo crazy daughter, Cumquat, menaced beast and man alike with a plastic ‘Robot Arm’


[Let me give the handlers a plug – Animal Tracks]

Joy, Polly’s great grandmother of 85 years, was far from at ease with these creatures, wouldn’t let the handlers near her, not even with a small tree froglet. She’s of a reptile-loathing generation which remembers a time when snakes were a far more common and deadly menace than today.


The kids, however, had no trouble – at one point about ten of them were lined up, holding a huge serpent stretched out end to end … a kind of mosh-diving image… weird for the snake, I think…

People have changed in their attitude to snakes. At least in the cities. A snake’s dark symbolism – derived from its alien form and its deadliness – draws the imagination more so than ever, but its roots are long-forgotten.

I wonder what the crèche-mothers thought of it all? There were lots of adults, many friends of ours, all of a Bohemian ilk - but also many local suburban parents. I am afraid of being judged here, but I wonder if I’m guilty of the same crime … As a nutjob living in the middle suburbs, I worry about becoming a well-known eccentric, or warlock, or psychokiller in their imaginations… not for my sake, of course, but for Polly’s … dreadful pressure to appear normal … must resist…

It was a lovely party, everyone had fun, I think, and I am just being paranoid.

Afterwards, Lemon shared an idea she’d had, ‘for a story or film, or whatever…”. A virus plagues the Earth. All are killed, but those given immunity by Hep C. Interesting scenario. Perhaps Lemon & I could become rulers of this tired, foggy-headed world. [‘Don’t you dare steal it,” says Lemon – and, trust me, you don’t want this dangerous little number on your case]

Today, I prepare for my long-awaited trip to Queensland.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Polly had a fantastic 5th birthday Sam!. Wow, she loves reptiles at 5, great idea for a birthday party. Is that Jenny with a snake wrapped around her neck??? She's got balls that's for sure...ha ha. Polly's a little cutie and I'm sure she loves her dad the "weirdo", don't change anything for those straights in the burbs Sam! Did any of them comment on your pretty bullant?!
Have a fun time in QLD.
Love Amanda

Unknown said...

No, Amanda, that's the mega-evil Amy; archon of the local Spore battalion. A truly erratic character: generous, yet stingy; amusing, yet predictable; despicable, yet loveable.

And don't worry. Someone once told me - if you tried to turn straight, you'd just become weirder - and I'm pretty sure it was wisdom that they spoke.

Chris Boyd said...

I have a coupla pics of my (very cool) 79 year-old mother with my (even cooler!) five year-old nephew -- i.e. her grandson -- in which Iris is holding this huge motherfucking python. They're in a shopping mall.

Alex, the neph, is lookin' on with wide-eyed horror and amazement, he's leaning backwards, away from the serpent.

It's almost mock horror, it's so exaggerated... five year-old ghoulish horror... The pic looks like it would be at home on the cover of Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick .)

Iris is simultaneously chilled and stoked! Bit of a mouth-open "ha ha" smile, as if to say: I can't believe I did this either!

Hey, trust you, Sam, to turn a five year old's bash into a great read. (Actually, trust you to turn a five year old's bash into a happening!!)

Unknown said...

Thanks Chris, for making me remember Thick As a Brick ... "The elastic retreat rings the close of play...