Category: Antarctica

JB went to university aged 35
he said he felt conspicuous
“ 9 ft tall with red hair
old enough to be their fathers
what do you expect?”
9 ft was an exaggeration
still
6ft five, with red hair – and prophet’s beard.

Before study he worked in a building supplies depot
insulation department.
thick blankets of salmon hued fibreglass batting
cut into pillow sized wall and ceiling warmers
and colloquial
known as pink batts.

Almost everybody arriving for the first time
said it
he said.
“ Hi Batman …….. heard that before”
upbeat slid to puzzled disappointment.
I told him they thought it humorous
so humour them
apparently humour thins after 1,000,001.

Skua : a migratory gull
South polar skua (Stercorarius maccormicki)
found in Antarctica over summer
a bigger, more streetwise seagull
with less scruples
always the first to arrive at a crash site.
McMurdo, hog heaven for skuas
all those people – and all that rubbish.

It wasn’t always possible to pick first timers
except on fried chicken day
they pointed at the wings and drumsticks
“skua,” and laughed heartily
disappointed with wit’s reception
surprised by our lack of humour.

For the back story click Backstage

An anxiety born in the Garden of Eden
the witness’s dilemma
presence can be trespass – even if legitimate.
Whisper to God
or wink at the devil?

In the first years we lived in temporary accommodation
a double skin canvas tent
wooden floor
wooden partitions
diesel stove
a death trap nicknamed the crematorium.

The rule was no smoking.
Absolutely forbidden.
Never.
Ever.
Serious consequences for any transgressor.

Saturday night
party night
the bars open until 1.00 a.m
the crematorium thought to be empty
except the anonymous misfit on the Sunday dawn shift.
10:30 p.m.
when the night still had octane
the party deserters, yet to
they came to her room.

The scent of fulfilment coiled in the air
distinctive to a tobacco non believer
to inform or not to inform?
Gillian never smoked any other time
and was quiet
except what preceded smoking
prolonged, bed pounding, wall shaking
lung emptying sex.

For the back story click Backstage

1200 people
hungry electrons
spinning around the nucleus of a single kitchen.
Limited medical facilities
2500 miles to nearest hospital
food borne illness constantly thought of
and unthinkable.
Sanitation. Mandatory.
Infection control. Essential

An expensive machine was installed in the pot wash
to combat dangers of raw meat
poultry
fish.
Fiendishly expensive
state-of-the-art
from Minnesota, Michigan or Wisconsin.
It never worked properly
choice
dismantle and return
or
have a specialist make house call.

House call it is
from Minnesota or Michigan or Wisconsin
via Port Hueneme California
and New Zealand
to McMurdo Antarctica.
The visiting specialist conducts endoscopic examination
the diagnosis accessible and jargon free
“it’s fucked in the guts.”

For the back story click Backstage