SPREAD A LITTLE:

Awake in the bus bunk at 06:00, everyone’s out cold, snoring,
talking in their sleep. Dress (prone), sit alone, pondering
breakfast without water to make porridge, no internet connection.
Forgot to bring a towel & shower gel & the fact that we’re
parked right next to the showers with the jump on everyone
who’s coming for a scrub just winds me up – I start to spiral
down. 07:30 can’t wait any longer, no porridge, no cuppa,
no clean skin. I shave behind black glass in the chill of an
air conditioned throat scour, grab a spare t-shirt, decant
hand soap from the toilet & slip on the only truly important
things I remembered…flip-flops. The shower cubical is clean,
just reward to an early riser. Someone’s scrubbing in the one
next door as I strip & find shower gel left by a previous
occupant, hmmmm, smells nice too. With that first hit of hot
clean water the head begins to shed it’s dark cloud & creeps
back on line. By the time I’ve towelled down with the t-shirt
(remembering those special hidden places that must be kept dry
at all times) I’m a new man (the old one was too self-centred-dark
to allow on stage). Walk across the festival site, very nice,
very nice. Happy dutch people going about their business,
in the business of spreading happiness, exactly what
I’m looking for.

(K)