looking over a wall down on a river there's bears in the water catching fish there's people swimming with them aren't they afraid now they're coming this way nowhere to go I am hunted by deceivingly fluffy bears, I... of my chains I am free I am free of my chains, I am free one comes up to me it could bite my head off but it lets me stroke him I guess they're OK now I want a bear and a red checked shirt we'll go hunter hunting and take their heads and maybe their legs and they'll say their sorry for all the shit they've done then in my hallway they'll all hang they'll all hang they'll all hang they'll all hang in my hallway they're all hanging on my wall they're all hanging in my hallway they're all hanging on my wall they're all hanging in my hallway they're all hanging on my wall they'll all hang.

lyrics transcribed from an old cyclopedia, the entry, a description of an antique chair. one could muse on Aldous Huxley's is-ness of a chair thing, if one wished.

The Blank Canvas: Last night I lost my sense of urgency, sitting among frantic creatures moving here and there, searching. A large full moon beamed white light across shadowy sand dunes while silhouettes of creatures darted to and fro around me, vanishing and reappearing with horrifying speed. In a dark nook, beneath my flesh mask the flurry of activity began to lay a mist around me, so much as to distance this messenger from the immediate and sink into an uneasy apathy. On the outside contemplative, sincere, inside active yet stumbling, weak…and soon to sleep. Dark apparitions slink between sand dunes. A Swallow dives between slopes and rises at peaks, its call beating the hollow heart of the land and leading the scene in a dance of bleakdom, while one figure remains distinct and silent. The human creature wakes. 13 spirits have been sent back to the world to come alive in dying men’s bodies on a desert battlefield. At dawn our creature arises instinctively, following commands and heads toward the soft room.The 13th skull stands last in line. Awoken by harsh midday sun, tender skin rises and grey eyes gaze in all directions viewing empty rolling sand hills that stretch out ahead every which way. A wave of gratitude passes through this lone figure, an ode to that which has freed this soul from its cage, for the dead need no food, water nor even rest. An empty knowing leads on toward the only destination. Nothing but sand passes for what seems like hours until a steady pace brings into view a door; a silent isolated doorway, unpropped, upright, straight on undulating land, a mirage perhaps? On closer inspection it presents itself as a one dimensional feature, unseen from the north and south but clearly visible to the erstwhile traveller from the east or west. Instinct drives me to enter from the west and it closes behind me. The door blinks out of sight. A sterile hallway bustling with white coats and cathartic faces absorbs me. I am drawn to a room at the end of the hall. The door slightly ajar, it emits a blue glow. Once open there is a cubic space with 13 mats arranged evenly across the floor in front of a man dressed in a grey suit, shirt and brown shoes. A thick blue haze weighs heavily on the air forcing slow direct movement on every creature who steps inside. All mats are occupied by kneeling cloaked figures, bar one nearest the door. Heavy straining sighs fill the room as 12 catch breath and bow heads holy, holding a hand to the neck to cough for first time in new lungs. The final piece of a puzzle is set down, a new stage begins. Deep inside 13 skulls a broad penetrating voice reverberates yet the room remains silent. 13 heads bow and stop firmly as they reach the floor. A loophole has been detected and must be closed. All are to be sent back. The voice continues still deeper as mats are sharply removed. Mistakes had been made at a low level and otherworldly treasures have been lost to the world. …And we all knelt before our New Master, eyes against our knees, only the floor in view, pressed against lightly causing tears to moisten the stale dead tiles. The floor begins to shake, tiles loosen, walls ache, like crying animals doomed, in denial. The tiles drop through, the whole floor follows, below all is white as pain rushes up to meet us. It enters through the feet, works its way up the legs, abdomen, chest and up to the neck which begins to bleed and delicately to sever. Legs disintegrate from the feet upwards. Sometime later after waking and feeling somewhat disjointed, I realise my six separate fragments lie on sand which has absorbed as much blood as to create a halo around this poor collection. A nurse and an architect rise up from underneath the desert as the sun rises in the sky. Locked in motion with the suns arc, fully exposed are they when it reaches its high noon position. After much blueprint and bandaging a near human being erects itself holding out a hand that causes the two professionals to sink into the sand. A journey must begin and sensing the eyes in the right place, a mountain is headed for. There are no rules. A hand is held up and a black stream stems from it. In a few minutes it reaches the closest star. Earth’s sun grows weak and is absorbed by shadows. The planet glows a warm red compensation, acting as a hidden radiate guide to our traveller. After a time the vertical face of the wrong side of a mountain presents itself. Instinct rises. Fist out in front and an overwhelming vibration comes from below leading to a white flash on the rock face. This triggers the sun to overcome its eclipsing desire. A cave appears in the rock offering a refuge from the burning glare and a path ahead is marked with gentle footsteps in the sand leading up to its entrance. So I followed the shallow imprints up to the mouth then down inside the cave and descended into the darkness which when it became total switched to a faint shimmer as the previously black coloured rocks glowed pale white and revealed blood vessels running all through them, like beneath the surface of human skin. The roof became lower as I moved along, sliding hands across the living rock and at once understanding all its root, depth and structure. The passage ran into a series of waterfalls between 10 and 15 metres high. I had to crawl through tighter and tighter gaps at the top of each one. The gaps were formed by the course of the water itself and left only a small space where it fell away through the softer rock layer below. After several of these I slipped up through the floor into the corner of a large windy cavern with a roof a hundred metres high. A scuffing of feet led me to look to the other end where I saw a circle of light and a cloaked body disappearing into it. ‘Hood up and walk into the light’, the voice reverberated through my skull. There are no rules, just methods and communication. Natural continually seeking to override unnatural. Six pieces of a biological puzzle strain but solid architecture holds true. Time is short, nature is catching up and gathering pace. In front lies water, flat and deep. Death cannot swim but moves with the flow. ‘Sink and wait in calm waters, nature will pass overhead…’ Dead weight floats absently, hidden, dormant but ready. A blank spirit eye constantly watches for a window of opportunity to take an unwanted passenger across its newest obstacle. All the while nothing circulates within the thirteenth skull.

I closed my eyes saw a duck in a sleeping bag the chick beside it was you

the chorus lines: "love, love arrest me my hearts empty chamber (swells anew) love, love, love... on the beat"

I wanted to party but Fun Police had me somewhere deep inside they had my party vibe I got deep down on it and drank a lot of wine lit up a cigar... got right down to that energy blasted through me hidden forces were on display... all of my demons came out to play and it felt good busted off that... visceral cap bust it off, bust it off... bust it off, yeah, bust it off I went through and beyond to oblivion and on... 'til the nothing angels came and in this place... I still remain bust it off, bust it off.. we wanted to party but Fun Police had us somewhere deep inside they had our party vibe we got deep down on it and drank a lot of wine lit up a cigar... got right down to that energy blasted through us hidden forces were on display... all of our demons came out to play and it felt good we busted off that... visceral cap bust it off, bust it off... bust it off, yeah, bust it off we went through and beyond to oblivion and on... 'til the nothing angels came and in this place... we still remain bust it off...

looking over a wall down on a river there's bears in the water catching fish there's people swimming with them aren't they afraid now they're coming this way nowhere to go I am hunted by deceivingly fluffy bears, I... of my chains I am free I am free of my chains, I am free one comes up to me it could bite my head off but it lets me stroke him I guess they're OK now I want a bear and a red checked shirt we'll go hunter hunting and take their heads and maybe their legs and they'll say their sorry for all the shit they've done then in my hallway they'll all hang they'll all hang they'll all hang they'll all hang in my hallway they're all hanging on my wall they're all hanging in my hallway they're all hanging on my wall they're all hanging in my hallway they're all hanging on my wall they'll all hang.