Here's a bit of stencilled art/graffiti from the concrete water tower at CDU. Doesn't the black-silhouetted image fit with the bland concrete wall?
I'd rather write about the Curlews or the scrub fowl but this guy is haunting me and I've gotta give him space.
I noticed it, at first, from a distance; as I was watching some birds darting through the trees in the car park.
The contrast of black on grey was like a smudge my sights keenly focussed on the honey eaters at play.
I surveyed the trees briefly before my eyes shot back with sharp involuntary precision to the image on the wall.
A threat? Yes! danger! danger?... No... no.. it's just a picture. What is it.
I move closer to check it out but just enough to determine that it's only an image on a wall.
I chuckle to myself and continue on my way. Some fancy graffiti of some dude with a Kalashnikov (AK 47). Probably a terrorist! Fearsome yes but no immediate danger.
I walked past that image several times over the next couple of weeks always looking at it from a distance always impressed by it's threatening almost menacing presence. Convinced that it was put there to threaten, to promote fear in those who saw it. A clear image of a man pointing a rifle in such a menacing way could only suggest that violence would be done!
I began to feel compelled towards this image and so one day went up and had a good look at it. Then I realized that it was the silhouette of what appeared very much to be an American soldier. What at first looked like the turban of a radical fundamentalist transformed into the kevlar helmet of an American G.I.
My view of the image changed instantly. The image mutated from aggressive attacker into protective defender. But still the weapon was held in a threatening stance.
Now I am confused!
Was he at first a freedom fighter transformed by my prejudice into a symbol of terror?
Or is he now an oppressor blindly perceived to be a symbol of justice and freedom?
I have no idea who he is supposed to be or why someone posted him there, but now that he is I feel forced to keep a suspicious eye on that wall and rarely notice the birds...
He can't be disarmed and he won't go away!
Oh yeh and the fireworks have been going off all night and the dogs been inside, right under our feet, since 5pm!
It's Territory day and it's got to be seen to be believed! (unfortunately my camera's stuffed so I couldn't get any video). Every street, beach, paddock, sports ground and spare piece of dirt in the Darwin metro area have been converted into emergency launch pads. All kinds of explosive eluminating bang, fizz, whistle and scream things have been shooting through the atmosphere since 6pm and they're still going. The sky is full of lights and flashes and the streets are shrouded in a smoky haze! Rockets are spinning out of control and people are runnin dogs are skamperin birds are a droppin and the noise aint stoppin coz tonight Darwin's rockin. And I reckon the police fire and emergency services will be busy too.
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