[Miscellany]

What you like about Melbourne is the constant renewal. Stifling hot days where the heat takes the breath from your chest, followed by a clap of thunder and a downpour that washes every last bead of sweat down into the storm water drains. Melbourne is good at smoothing the rumpled sheets over until all is new again. As a child you pressed your forehead against the kitchen window, breathing fog onto the glass and drawing for hours with your finger as you watched one storm or another ravish the vegetable patch in the back yard. This was enough to get you into major trouble, but you did it anyway. The working class are not amused by fanciful art on squeaky, clean windows. Drawing on the plaster-board with sharp implements so that the art made an indent into the wall was also frowned upon for some reason.

You like these storms. You enjoy the sound of heavy rain, blocking all other sounds out. You'd like to lie in bed all morning, if possible, listening to the varied staccato on the roof - but it's Thursday morning and other responsibilities await. Melbourne is like you are in so many ways. She never can decide what she is and somehow, though you are seasoned to her ways, the change in mood always take you by surprise. Fill in the gaps with playful breezes and gentle sun showers followed by intense sunlight and angry thunder-claps. You know that while the morning has brought with it a storm that has awoken you from slumber, earlier than you care to get up normally - she will shift and change and by midday the sun will be strong again...you can already feel the muggy heat rising from her depths.

posted by M at 6:05 am 2 comments