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For bohemians everywhere

Kathleen Preston – Metamorphosis (1979)

[From ‘Bohemian Bagatelle‘, published 1979 by the Bohemians]

 

METAMORPHOSIS

 

The heat is building up. It is so hot now, I can hardly bear the heat. I think I shall have to jump out of this great cone-shaped, trembling, boiling mountain.

Now what’s happening? I am floating through the air. I don’t know how, I didn’t jump, I was just ejected with many other pieces of molten rock.

Why are people at the bottom of the mountain running?

Why are the women and children screaming? What’s happening?

Is this going to be the long-spoken-of-end-of-the-world? What shall I do?

I shall have to just wait and see. I can’t do much.

I have landed on the ground. “Help! I can’t move!” What’s happening to me now? I am feeling all hard. BUMP! BUMP! BUMP! Other pieces are landing around me.

“What’s going on?” I asked the rock next to me.

“The volcano, that’s the mountain we were in, has erupted,” replied the grey-looking stone. “We were molten, melted-down rocks, and when the volcano was a bit fed-up he threw us up, and now we are outside it is colder, so we harden up and turn into a dull, grey stone called Pumice.”

“You are already grey – Am I?”

“Oh, yes, of course. The change is so sudden.”

“What happens now?” I queried.

“After the commotion of the eruption has cooled down, and the people are not so excited, a man will come and dig us up, and we will be very useful. They will send us to shops all over the world, where we will be sold to people who will take us to their homes, where we will be used for cleaning things – like dirty marks that are hard to remove.”

“Oh! Thank you for telling me.”

“I think I will go to sleep now, if you will excuse me!”

“Thank you – and Good night.”

 

Kathleen Preston

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