Boston Mass

Last night, between double rums in a bar I cannot remember the name or location of, I was chatting to a barmaid at last orders. My compadres were already moving on back towards the pad. I lingered. I have no idea what this has to do with the case other than a sneaking feeling that something of importance did happen next, possibly something was said, or something alluded to, which I now forget. If it comes back to me I will pass on. So much is lost in a haze of sleep and double rums that remains forever forgotten. One cannot remember half of ones genuine lived experiences - understair liaisons; window hangings; skies the colour of fire… just as one is oblivious from one body of all ones other experiences in the multitude of other seats and armchairs and deckchairs of consciousness throughout the universe.

Mr Palindrome speaks wisely as ever. I believe I met him once. The only thing I recall him saying to me was ‘Yunno in Atlantis they bred some good swimmers…’

The age of the parable is not dead. Recently I have had a number of books and failed new age journals and zines scattered over my desk, amassing as much parable as I can lay my hands on. I see parable as one of the richest sources of information – a veritable soil – a loam. Parable speaks through its silences as well as its words. Parable is the finger pointing into the middle distance. Parable is the slightly surprised and joyfully bemused expression which says ‘behold!’.

At a parable count of several hundred, from Aesop’s fables to Kafka’s amorphisms, taking in all the saints and charlatans and bums and philosophers and conmen, I’m approaching a better familiarity with the language and fear I may soon find I cannot speak outwith parable. I wonder if the Boston Rat is acquainted with the ceremony known as the ‘Boston Mass’. I have heard numerous references to this ceremony, and assume it to be a local celebration, possibly semi-secretive. It may be of relevance to the Dog Squad religious right, but I suspect not as they have no known association with the North-East.