a million midges
in plague proportions
attack the lamps
on this filthy hot
new year's night
whilst
viennese ice maidens
waltz
to the blue danube
incongurous
on an infested
crawling tv screen
the radetsky march
in clipped compound teutonic rhythim
booms on
to delighted smiling japanese
at the guilded palace
a plethora of
baroque cherubs and gold
TURN IT OFF
commands the cry
from a distant bedroom
I go outside
look up at the
big yellow cheese
setting the paddocks alight
strip off
hose myself down with icy tank water
crisp dry in minutes
the hot breeze filtering
through pungent pepper trees
a portent of the cruel summer to come
JANUARY
never a good month
a month of strategies
to survive
the heat
bush fires
breaking down of appliances
dust
the school holidays
idle winter escapees in droves
Christmas ghosts
the month of
short tempers
nagging
break ups
sun burn
heat stroke
shorter tempers
snail pace traffic
road rage
falling out
kings tides
financial fiascoes
and
AUSTRALIA DAY
solution
death by drowning
in a sea of pink bubbly
having consumed
crates of Sydney Rock Oysters
ha which hopefully doesnt make you feel too fuzzy when you wake up in the morning...smiles...you still have 29 more days of it to go...like the zoom in on the light and tv at the beginning...january is cold here...sunburn welcome, ha...
ReplyDeleteDon't bet on it!.Australian outback heat will have you praying for snow:)
ReplyDeleteI am going to be very grizzly this month Brian!
I like this a lot! I love how you express that your experience is opposite from many of ours: the Viennese ice maidens on TV while you're dealing with excessive heat and hot tempers. And midges. I can feel the heat and irritation in this, laced through with humor.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marilyn..glad I got the irritation across:)
ReplyDeleteVery nicely written. You paint a clear picture. Not terribly enticing picture, midge-wise, but I can see it all clearly. The water tank is probably an image I shouldn't dwell upon.
ReplyDeleteThe bubbly would work. Oysters? (shrugs).
Heading into hot spell here - not looking forward to it at all.
Happy New Year!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Cosmo. Scorcher here today too. Looks as if we will both be writing hot poetry for January:)
ReplyDelete(Shrugs) for oysters?..Sydney rock oysters are the best in the world..trust me I know about these things.
Happy New Year Russell!
ReplyDeleteYou will survive. Just keep the oysters and bubbly coming. Great work here, short powerful lines.
ReplyDeleteHa ...if only Nico!
ReplyDeleteWhat an excellent remedy for the Australian summer heat, just keep the bush fires at bay. 40 degrees in Adelaide now!
ReplyDeleteI know ..saw it on the news...Victoria bad as well...cross our fingers..bush fires inevitable I'm afraid with this heat and no relief for the next two weeks. Take care and keep cool Darlin'.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fine survival plan..the heat sounds like an apocalypse trigger..passing you some cold..and a happy (later to come) new year..
ReplyDeletehope it cools down there soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jae and Sheilagh. Happy New Year
ReplyDelete