A WALK IN THE DARK:

Walking late night Miyazaki-town from sundown ferry ride turn right
along the dock till the light runs out & fear trickles in &
common sense tellS you turn back this is really stupid. Walking
alone at night. So there’s three of you, ok, but the restaurants are
way back behind & now it’s only abandoned warehouses, blown out
glass & hungry street art. The gaping toothless holes of loading bay
doors ripped off & burned long ago give way to nightmare corridors,
moonlit & inviting. Rubble tangled & needle strewn in the twisted
film playing in my head & every time the dock looks like it’s
running out on us, dumping us into the deep black river it takes
another turn around another desolate corner where the wharf gets
increasingly narrower, darker, more treacherous. Out of sight
but seconds away from help we go deeper into the badlands & the
sight of car lights dancing across the twin of the golden gate
bridge only fuels my fear that some huge leviathan is about to
erupt from the depths of that cruel black river, all tentacles &
giant eye, to drag us deep to our deaths before some loner turns us
over for change, leaving us bleeding amongst stinking rubble.
We keep walking, turning corners into the rank unknown. Until
reaching the Miyazaki dream fish restaurant tucked under a rock.
Straight out of Cornwall or some romantic Greek Island smelling
of wood burner & safe harbour & smiles & warm & welcome & Kodak
moments.

(K)