online: 12 april 2015
modified: 12 april 2015

27 march 2015 overlooking a valley of trees


....not sat here for years... the theatrical appearance of a grassy bank above a valley of birches, oaks and other trees... i imagine it is a stage for arrivals and departures... this seat being for the audience... who or what will arrive if i wait for today's performance of the world... a universal play... (mislabelled ordinary life)...?

...in the distance are the sounds of cars increasing revs to climb hills... and faint sounds ducks or geese... and for the moment no aircraft...

...a man and a woman approach... both in navy blue... she follows a few metres behind him on the narrow path along the bank... he turned once to signal something to her... and then continued to lead the way...

...and now there are no people to be seen... and no wind... but continued faint sounds of city traffic... and much else that i don't notice...

...another man... also in dark blue... pushes a bike up the hill and disappears into the scenery... while three women with long hair... and with a dog... walk the bank from right to left... and now the scene is empty... and they also wear blue...

...a magpie flies down onto the grass... it walks about and pecks... and now it flies back into the tree... (and i remember Gertrude Stein's way of seeing and composing plays 'as landscapes')... while two men appear with three golden-haired greyhounds...then one man throws something for two dogs to fetch while he keeps the third one on a lead...

...the sound of a helicopter approaches... and now it appears among the clouds... while a short woman in blue and with a very small dog walks slowly across the scene and disappears into the trees... the sky is almost covered with small blue-grey clouds beneath pale blue sky... and a solitary bird flies high across the valley... as if it has a distant destination... and now the man and woman reappear... still walking in line while on the narrow path... she tries to walk beside him where it's wider...

...another man in navy blue (it seems that every one here today is wearing that colour!)... he simply walks across from right to left and disappears...


...i catch sight of a slow-moving white object seeming to fly behind the trees... is it a bird... or a plastic bag... or something less recognisable... ...it's getting dark i think it's time to go... the performance continues...




homepage

© 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 john chris jones



You may transmit this text to anyone for any non-commercial purpose if you include the copyright line and this notice and if you respect the copyright of quotations.

If you wish to reproduce any of this text commercially please send a copyright permission request to jcj at publicwriting.net