local time: 7.30am. date: decemberry. climate: tropics. co-ordinates: rainforest. north of nimbim. northern rivers territories. bundjalung country. tuntable commuity. message to all boutiquers, for your eyes only, hello can you hear me? hello? blip blip...signal...a weak signal but something...i can hear a connection...i hope this will reach you...and those of you that can hear this message, your general wishes you a merry merry good morning or the sweetest good evening depending on where on gods earth you are...
this first week we have been in a industrious whirlwind, we have swam in the pacific and dived through waterfalls, swam in watering holes and sheltered from the most awesome electrical storms, magnificent cacophony, orchestras of thunder and lightening and sipped whiskies beneath the starriest skies. and all this - whilst gathering poets, authors and movers and groovers from up and down the east coast to join our tour. we did a load of eucalyptus oil last night and this warned off the mozzies but this morning i smell like a koalas bum and i seem to have stopped wearing any clothes i appear to have woken up in the rainforest. after last nights battle, i slept in a safehouse, a treehouse, high up in the hills. i am in bundjalung country and waking up to hear the early morning bird song, i laid in my bunk and recall watching a huge spider devouring a moth in its web above my head. i stayed quite still watching the spider wrap the silken thread around its victim and as i write this, currently it is sucking its brains out. the mothy memories of full moonlight are being eaten by the jaws of spider hell, yes, war is harsh and nature is creul. we have witnessed all manner of wildlife here - leeches, worms, centipedes, tics, midges, lizards, jumping ants, flying foxes, wallabys, whip birds, enormous bird-eating butterflies - think of the bush tucker trials on 'i'm a celebrity get me out of here' - yes all them critters, but without the celebrities - god is merciful.
last night was our first battle at the tuntable hall outside of nimbin. note: this was the first time we tied the book club boutique bunting between palm trees and also the first time we played together under the southern cross. we were delighted to seek out such wicked poets from the local communities, jane treasure and pico, david hallett, christine strellen, outstanding performances, brilliant! we will soon post links on our webternet pages so you can check out these excellent poets... its brilliant to be re-united with the aussie contingent of the book club boutique army, private patty and lieutenant jack, last night i was star struck to play alongside the hussy hicks! beautiful! our major max is ahead of us, down in base camp in the town of lismore and i can assure you there will be evidence and footage up on our website, so check in on our facebook and twitter tonight we play lismore and sunday down in byron bay! if you know any boutiquers in these territories send them to us, the more the merrier. united we stand for all things books, booze and boogie-woogie!
i must admit, even though i am the general, even i am scared of the toilet here. there are brown snakes. ground snakes. the very dangerous ones. i am going to have to hold it in until we reach the border! i raise a glass to you, to the solstice and the yuletide. and i salute my grandmother from colonels ridge and the blue mountains of Jamaica, who passed away yesterday morning. we believe her spirit rises with us. i sense her near me. the morning she died the wildest storm died down, i planted tomatoes, aubergines and courgettes, i water them and think of her until i can get home to my family. rest in peace muriel burke, my tigerlilly, my tigers eye.
love. life. live. long. alive sha-boom boom boomerang
general g
