The palpitating facts of life

First published in Daily Temporary, May, 2012.

I opted for the one on the right side.

The flush is not so powerful on the left side,

the angle is not so steep, and the

drop hole not so accoodating. It took some

days to learn this preference.

I sit. Nature takes its course. I am reminded

of an encounter from two days ago. Hijacked

into a conversation by two lads sat bare

chested and supping at tins of lager by the

river. We speak with ease and opportunity. We

discuss idleness, career, the chase for six

penny pieces, alcohol, home, success. The

palpitating facts of life.

It was a hot day. The eldest had just turned 30

the other was younger perhaps 19-21 years.

They speak openly and with sincere interest

about the village, about art, about nomadism.

We disrupt the sound of the river, of the birds,

of the passing dogs, with occasional raucous

laughter. I am diagnosed with madness when I

speak of swimming in the river and am informed

of its contents; metal piping, urine, a colour

TV. They articulate a desire to take risk, to

travel, to live nomadically. They speak of USA,

of Australia, of Jamaica.  Enthusiastically

they express desire for change. When I ask

‘why not’ they speak of work. When I ask ‘why

work’ they speak of money. When I observe the

cluttered pile of empty lager tins I sympathise with the

perpetual work/beer/work/beer cycle. I am

charmed with their curiosity in our village. I

sense this is fuelled by our lack of

stereotype, we are neither the ‘gypsies’ nor the

‘hippies’ they may have expected. No bare

knuckle fighting, no daisy chains, no folk

music.

Nature takes its course, my creation slips

with ease down the drop hole.

I wash my hands, lift my trousers, look myself

in the eyes and head back out to our temporary

settlement.

The palpitating facts of life

Andrew Wilson

The palpitating facts of life was first published in ‘Daily Temporary’ on Thursday 31st May, 2012. Daily Temporary was a newspaper project ran by Penka Mincheva (Bulgaria) and Peter Westman (Sweeden) at Nomadic Village 2012 in Wolsingham, County Durham, UK.

Nomadic Village was a project conceived by artist Klaus Mähring and produced by ​D6 with support from Durham County Arts Team and Wolsingham Parish Council. Between 21 May - 3 June 2012, the the Demesne Mill Picnic Area in the town of Wolsingham hosted a 'Nomadic Village' of 30+ international artists who came from as far away as Australia and as near as Tow Law. The 10-day project provided space for professional artists working in a variety of mediums to live and work, engage and interact with the local community and produce work responding to the location and situation