Kit Kelen #957 - living in the pictures (or I decided)

957

living in the pictures

or

I decided

I decided to live in a book

with conversation and pictures

all my friends were already there

chatting away, drawing – and colour!

there was more inside than outside the book

more world I mean

more stories, more supper

more pictures, more fun

I rode my bicycle in … just like that

I just felt I had to get away, to get in...

do you ever feel like that?

outside of those pages

such silly things!

some days everything was on fire

people were rough and rude and mean

and not so easy to say why

it was much safer to be inside

where we are now

in the book we all took infinite care

I built a lovely little home in there

(you have to do it in a dream

with snatches of cloud

and wishes and whims)

then what was made becomes us now!

the garden is always blooming

even with sun

and with snow

I keep a flower there

with a beautiful name

so no one can ever remember

I take my clouds

for regular walks

and I know them each of them by name

because we're in a book

in pictures

I know that I will see you there!

please come! it's not so far

so I set off with one fine day

intending to be home for dinner

I took a rainbow with me

packed lunch, and a map in my head

the thing is I made up my way as I went

with here's a mountain

there a valley

everywhere a river runs

and hot

so I hop on a little raft

(that was always waiting)

away across oceans

met creatures all sorts

wombat bigger than a bus

(Wilhelmina, she was)

I rode Escali-wagu-lator

(funny sort of up down thing

with stairs for scales

and big broad grin)

of course the Anybeast was in

and you can just imagine

who and how and what

you must!

or else there isn't any beast

so won't you please just see!

'twas then I came upon the Snoozy

sent to sleep by the Lulla-bug

high hammocked for best rest

and tip toe round with me

won't you?

we mustn't wake the Snoozy

or else?

or else I can't remember

I can't remember here

but Snoozy dreamt us all

this up

or I was dreaming Snoozy

or snoozily

or you were

or someone was

it must have been like that because

or else I can't remember

in any case you all were there

and you and you of course

my friends!

it's so lovely to see you all

we have a darling cup of tea

me, Anybeast, Escaligwag, Lullabug and not forgetting Snoozy

and Wilhelmina Wombat too

then scones

and after all

a walk

to make more mountains

our quest –

to find Chamele-flower

(the any-flower-you-like

it could be anywhere at all

so you'll have to take a hike)

bring boots!

bring bicycle!

bring wings!

right now I'm crossing a desert

by bird we're just inventing –

it has a dragon aspect

and some pelican out front

and little tickly feather ends

that brush up on your legs

when we bank to duck

a star or so

maybe just a planet

I think I'll call my bird Quentin

and what will you call yours?

of course they are all their own birds

and you can't tell them where to fly

but they take you to the very best places

you'll never know where

and you mustn't ask why

and now it's dark I'm back to dream

inside the book we're writing

a shame I missed my dinner

but this is more exciting

I say this to be fair –

there's always more in the book

you can go anywhere in there

and still not know

where else there is

and still all in a book

no one could build the worlds to hold

all the stories to tell in there