John Clare Writings

Contrary Motion in Darlinghurst Road

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Everything had been going wrong for some time and through it all the pain of a break-up persisted when I slid into a cab on Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross. It was night and the footpaths were thronged. He was going the wrong way for me but I told him to run on to Macleay Street, then turn through to a parallel street and come back in the right direction. This would have added minimally to the fare but he made a sudden sweeping U-turn as soon as the door shut. A glittering galaxy of many colours travelled the other way across the windshield because it had just begun to rain, and purple, emerald, sky blue, gold and mauve neons were caught momentarily in each big fresh drop, then passed on to the next, then smeared in an arc as the wiper started. At the same time ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ (the rain has gone) began on the radio, sung by Gladys Knight And The Pips. He seemed to have turned on the radio while spinning the wheel, moving the indicator and accelerating with his foot. Like some virtuoso drummer. His spontaneity pleased me a great deal. So did the song. Suddenly everything pleased me. The pain lifted and my fortunes changed, for some time at least.

Despite the rain. Or because of it. The world was getting a wash.

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