a world where strangers trod

maybe i really am fucking mad
maybe i just dreampt up all these people
did i dream up martin krall?
did i dream up terry n terri?
did i dream up david neil or linda neil?
did i dream up natalie dalton or miranda jansson?
did i dream up ploogy n banga pearson?
did i dream up peter kopf n jamie west-oram?
did i dream up steve kilbey?
today it all feels so unlikely
simon polinski mixes the soundtrack of my life
he rolls in the thunder
he catches the radio signals n mutates them into riffs
he turns slowed down calves into whales
he spins in the watery elements
he allocates the distant shouts
snatches of conversation
n vice versa
he takes my words
sends them deep into a one way night
with all the chattering madness in my head
because kilbey is tuning in everything now
the future is happening
oh gawd help us!
the future is happening right now to me
a combination of drugs
sin
yoga
age
natural predisposition
feigned madness becomes real
real life becomes faint
no anchor to hold me here
i remember the night
me n david neil had the girl on the balcony
i remember the christmas lights n the purple sky
the taste of coffee n wine n sex in my mouth
the girls name was really mountjoy
david kissed her chest
kilbey kissed her back
i kissed her mouth
i kissed her white feet
as she eventually slipped off her black boots
cars sped by in the street below
it was a hot night man
we moved with some urgency
i lay on my back looking at the stars
david was whispering in her ear
the girl giggled in the dark
one hand reaching out for kilbey
one other hand reaching out for him
david looks up from what hes doing
steve?
a gentleman in everything always
steve? says the girl in her west virginian accent
where you from miss mountjoy ? kilbey asks
i'm from morgantown sir..she says demurely
as she writhes in davids lap
wheres morgantown honey? someone else says
why morgantown west virginia sir! says mountjoy
shes wearing these kitten ears...i only just noticed
thats a nice touch kilbey says sneeringly
you like those baby? says mountjoy
and david closes his eyes and moans so softly
and it sounds just like his record
on that song "a world where strangers trod"
just after the crescendo
a slight pause in the music
before the high hat taps it all back in again
n you hear david murmur something just like that
n now a couple of irish guys hefting a case of beer
had to stop below our balcony n were gawking at us
fuck off ! david hissed at them
but they just stood there watching miss mountjoy
how do you like those guys watching us ? i said
i like it just fine, sir said miss mountjoy
and kilbey n i watched
n the stars watched
n the 2 irish guys watched silently
reverently
mountjoy was speaking in tongues
what did you say? said david astonished
i dont know that was my kundalini talking she said
her soft drawling voice was extremely provocative
mountjoy seemed sent from some planet
where women were created soft n sweet n deliciously immoral
kilbey said
we're gonna miss you miss mountjoy
yes sir...i do believe you will she said
twisting around
so as to distribute all her favours even steven
it was just me
kilbey
david neil
miss mountjoy
2 irish guys on the street below
the stars
the night
the twinkly christmas lights
a plane flew overhead
maybe they all looked out the window
welcome to david neils dream says the captain
as the passengers all touch down down down
the passengers are all making out
and everyman is neil
neil:kneel!
and everywoman is mountjoy
a song comes on the intercom
davids song cockpit
he wrote this one with me
can you tell?
cockpit
baby i'm all confused
see me landing
i'm landing on sea
please come up to the cockpit
and rescue me
baby i'm all diffused
see me drowning
i'm drowning on land
please come back to the cockpit
i need a hand
and tonight we really gonna soar
yes tonight we really gonna get some more
dont leave me alone in the cockpit i adore
miss mountjoy said i love that song david
kilbey said well he wrote it for you
mountjoy frowned
in long west virginian vowels she said
why sir thats impossible
i only met you gentlemen tonight..
we all laughed at that
even the stars n the irishmen n the passengers
maybe we made this all up together ...suggests david
give everyone a co-write then kilbey says
miss mountjoy..kilbey asked
what IS your first name
why sir..she said
my name is love!