Midnight

The air's full of rain.

It feels really good.

Midnight nonsense

See, I've been a piece of stretched leather, scratched and hard, I have been a parched and thickened tongue, and now at last it's midnight, and the air is free with rain; Not quite itself, not quite us; the night isn't black but orange brown; tonight, midnight is red, and though I love scarlet, I don't like this; it feels as though the sky's been soldered by street lamps, scorch marked clouds, hot copper roads, water hissing when it hits the grid. Everything is burning. I can't even sleep, my throat's still tight, I can't breathe even with my hair wet, my dress soaked through to the skin. I joined the cats running around in the rain. It made no difference. Every window in the house open, still we need more air.

No, I don't want this. Why don't we go, why don't we just run out into the dark and find some real night with some coolness in it, then let's keep running until we don't recognise the road signs. Let's find a place near a river, let's run out without shoes and feel mud between our toes, and if we go far enough, we will find the air and the lightning we need. The cats will run alongside us, they're happy to go. Cats and storms, we need more cats and storms.

http://www.paintingstogo.com/rousseau/tiger.jpg

Air, water, air.

Today is cool and grey. Even the trees look relieved.

I have had absolutely no sleep.

Agents and editors

It's always been easy in the past.

Editor: Hello Ms Strokingchute, you have been recommended to me by one of the dipsomaniacs in my employ. Show me what you can do.

Buddingauthorboot takes out wax crayon and draws moustache on editor's face.

Editor: That's a bit intellectual, Ms Pokingbeaut. Can we make it more accessible*? Remember, we want everyone to enjoy it.

Buddingauthorboot draws moustache on own face. Misses left side.

Editor: OK, you're hired. Take a handful of peanuts on your way out.

Buddingauthorboot: Thank you. To peanuts: I shall take you home and call you 'pay.'

( more whinging on the same subject )

*By which we do not mean, 'Dumb it down to the level of a Bush speech'. Of course we don't.