ESCAPE

it is june 1997
i have escaped from the suffocation of the english south coast
fled from a relationship gone sour
to the land of the ancient gods
zeus, apollo, aphrodite and poseidon
i gaze across the sea at misty sinister albanian shores
the open road
the wind in my hair
the roar of the engine
the sun beats down on my head
burning my forearms
the road snakes up to kaiser's seat
past steep hillsides and olive groves
winding switchbacks
the island spreads out beneath me and melts into the sea
in the tavernas
dusky olive-skinned waitresses
serve plates of hummus, bread and salad
washed down with white wine
a steep climb down to the beach
throwing off clothes
body surfing in the frothy waves
balmy evenings outside on the terrace
losing myself in the odyssey
long compelling passages of the magus...
it is may 1991
i sit on the banks of the ganges in varanasi
the holy city of northern india
different gods
brahma, vishnu, krishna, ganesha
we gaze down on the burning ghats
it is night-time but all is lit up
hindu and jain pilgrims mill
bathe in the sacred but filthy waters
wild-eyed sadhus in ochre robes contort into agonising poses
vince and i are high as kites on bhang lassi
our senses amplified
sights, sounds and fragrances enhanced into a new dimension
a cremation begins
we watch spellbound
as a corpse slowly carbonises before our very eyes
limbs crumble into ash
the torso disintegrates
clouds of dust blow away into the sultry night air...
it is february 2007
i have escaped to my desk in sk
i check into the art of living
i read my comments
i type out my blog
i was so much older then
i'm younger than that now