Friday, June 26, 2009

If it has to be this bad, can't it be in black and white and have a decent soundtrack?

I'm tired and scratchy at the moment and I'm seeing the world without all the usual filters, pretence at civilisation for the use of. I sometimes do this on purpose when "I'm being creative," which can be interesting and useful. It's a bit unnerving when you find it happening of its own accord.

Mid-evening, on my way home from the nightmare factory, post-tea-time so the street's quiet. Or relatively so: two streets down a car alarm is going and someone, somewhere is playing an Abba compilation. The first jarring note came at the corner: I don't recall having seen that somebody had jemmied that garage door. The family's in the house, though: one of the kids is yelling up the stairwell at somebody or other. So that's OK then I suppose. How come the crisp packets you see blowing round the pavement are never any that you see in the shops? I happen to know that down this street there lives a ginger tom, a silver tabby, a sort-of-tortoiseshell with ginger ears, two silly-looking things with wide eyes and an excess of hair in the ears, and a Persian cross that looks like a Merseybeat wig on a bad hair day. Today all I see are black and white cats with Hitler moustaches, five in all. At first I thought it was one and the same, but then I saw three of them together, sat sitting on the front lawn like so many china shepherdesses. The new slates on the roof of the first terrace make a perfectly-regular lozenge. The discoloration of the slates on the next house spells 'Lido' in Palatine type.

And there's a deckchair in the middle of the road...

10 comments:

Madame DeFarge said...

Well, I'm boiling in London, so it could be worse. That's my unfailing optimism coming there, did you notice?

Hope you cease scratching.

Ms Scarlet said...

Well, I woke up 15 mins ago... boiling too. And itchy.
Sx

Gadjo Dilo said...

Exquisite melancoly, Kevo. Black and white cats with Hitler moustaches.

fairyhedgehog said...

I thought you were having a Matrix moment with the cats there, until you saw several at once.

It's very odd when reality doesn't seem real.

Barlinnie said...

No crisp packets in sight, no cats, and certainly no yelling kids. In fact the noise fae the cascading natural waterfall in the hills above, is only slighter louder than the delightful throbbing of the humming birds wings.

Pardon me while I appear slightly smug for a wee while.

KAZ said...

'lozenge' - what a lovely word.

Lulu LaBonne said...

Those drugs you're on Kevin, I think you're having too many - send some to me and I'll see how they work with alcohol

savannah said...

drink more water, sugar! sounds as if y'all are becoming dehydrated! xoxoxo

Scarlett Parrish said...

I love posts like this. Melancholy, observant and random.

Bit like me. :D

Hope you're keeping well, sir!

Kevin Musgrove said...

What nice people.

Madame DeF: I envy you not one bit. Warm weather brings out the worst in London streets. Courage ma brave!

Scarlet: I'm scared to ask. I hope whatever it is clears up soon.

Ta for the cats Gadjo. Do you know, I hadn't twigged this as a melancholic post at all until you said that.

Fairyhedgehog: my workplace is an unflagging procession of Matrix moments. I shouldn't bring my work home with me.

Jimmy, you're forgiven just for the mental picture. This time. (-:

Kaz: you can use it to intimidate whey-faced loons with straw donkeys at the airport.

Lulu: Vimto-flavoured chewies. I think it's the sugar rush as does it.

I expect you're right, Savannah. It's the Ready Salted Crisps Diet that's doing it to me.

Scarlett: melancholy? Moi? I'm known for my Pollyanna attitude. (-: