On Friday I went to see the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. The image of Ade Edmonson (from 'The Young Ones', 'Comic Strip Presents', and 'Bottom', amongst other things) in a parrot costume, crowd-surfing, will stay with me for a long, long time. As will the man playing a (theramin) leg with his behind. And the elderly man, eighty if he was a day, with long flowing white hair and orange dungarees, playing the spoons and prancing like a mad pixie... Indelibly burned into my brain.
On Saturday I went to my mum's and we made gluten-free diabetic Christmas puddings, which were... yucky... and mushroom and cashew nutroast, which was lovely. Both for Christmas, although the puddings aren't for me, thank goodness. I don't really eat Christmas pudding, anyhow. Nasty stuff.
Sunday, I went to what is probably the biggest shopping mall in southern England, with a dear friend and my bf, and walked around, and around, and around... A 12-hour shopping trip, including travel time. I spent lots of money I don't have, but hopefully have bought all my Christmas presents, so it was worth it. Don't want to do any more Christmas shopping. Fed up of Christmas already, after this weekend. Also bought myself some pyjamas that say 'I understand - I just DON'T CARE.' And drawing pins in the shape of ladybirds. And some clear pink plastic stars. And... oh, other stuff, I can't even remember. I feel... slightly jaded from all the rampant consumerism. But we also ate sushi, and talked lots, and had a laugh, so it was overall a Good Thing.
I was thinking of this poem recently, don't know why...
King John’s Christmas
King John was not a good man —
He had his little ways.
And sometimes no one spoke to him
For days and days and days.
And men who came across him,
When walking in the town,
Gave him a supercilious stare,
Or passed with noses in the air —
And bad King John stood dumbly there,
Blushing beneath his crown.
King John was not a good man,
And no good friends had he.
He stayed in every afternoon ...
But no one came to tea.
And, round about December,
The cards upon his shelf
Which wished him lots of Christmas cheer,
And fortune in the coming year,
Where never from his near and dear,
But only from himself.
King John was not a good man,
Yet had his hopes and fears.
They’d given him no present now
For years and years and years.
But every year at Christmas,
While minstrels stood about,
Collecting tribute from the young
For all the songs they might have sung,
He stole away upstairs and hung
A hopeful stocking out.
King John was not a good man,
He lived his live aloof;
Alone he thought a message out
While climbing up the roof.
He wrote it down and propped it
Against the chimney stack:
"TO ALL AND SUNDRY
— NEAR AND FAR —
F. Christmas in particular."
And signed it not "Johannes R."
But very humbly, "Jack."
"I want some crackers,
And I want some candy;
I think a box of chocolates
Would come in handy;
I don’t mind oranges,
I do like nuts!
And I SHOULD like a pocket-knife
That really cuts.
And, oh! Father Christmas, if you love me at all,
Bring me a big, red, india-rubber ball!"
King John was not a good man —
He wrote this message out,
And gat him to this room again,
Descending by the spout.
And all that night he lay there,
A prey to hopes and fears.
"I think that’s him a coming now!"
(Aniety bedewed his brow.)
"He’ll bring one present, anyhow —
The first I had for years."
"Forget about the crackers,
And forget the candy;
I’m sure a box of chocolates
I’m sure a box of chocolates
Would never come in handy;
I don’t like oranges,
I don’t like oranges,
I don’t want nuts,
And I HAVE got a pocket-knife
That almost cuts.
But, oh! Father christmas, if you love me at all,
Bring me a big, red, india-rubber ball!"
King John was not a good man,
Next morning when the sun
Rose up to tell a waiting world
That Christmas had begun,
And people seized their stockings,
And opened them with glee,
And crackers, toys and games appeared,
And lips with sticky sweets were smeared,
King John said grimly: "As I feared,
Nothing again for me!"
"I did want crackers,
And I did want candy;
I know a box of chocolates
Would come in handy;
I do love oranges,
I did want nuts!
And, oh! if Father Christmas, had loved me at all,
He would have brought a big, red,
india-rubber ball!"
King John stood by the window,
And frowned to see below
The happy bands of boys and girls
All playing in the snow.
A while he stood there watching,
And envying them all ...
When through the window big and red
There hurtled by his royal head,
And bounced and fell upon the bed,
An india-rubber ball!
AND, OH, FATHER CHRISTMAS,
MY BLESSINGS ON YOU FALL
FOR BRINGING HIM
A BIG, RED,
INDIA-RUBBER
BALL!
A.A. Milne
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- Mood:
tired
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chasethestars
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