The car finally burned out around 3. The blue beaconof a silent patrol car threw new shadows into the streetturning the window into a flickering monitor screen.I'd seen the kids torch the vehicle before I left on anightly surfing run to a cybersex site in Chile.
It wasn't as if they were getting rid of prints, everyoneknew it was them. They didn't give a shit. They justwanted to see the flames, to throw a bit of light on asituation. I looked up the hill at the spread of the estate.
The streetlights glowed like campfires of an army on theeve of battle or fireflies trapped in the canopyof an immense jungle.
Jungle, young mental jungle,
Here in the jungle, in the jungle
Where men don't cry and husbands lie and you never haveto justify a kickin.
When mates jump in to save your skin if a chib is everpulled out in a square go.
Jungle ride, jungle ride tell me when it's over.
Jungle ride, jungle ride tell me when it ends.
Oh here she comes round again, here she comes round again,here she comes round again, here she comes, here she comes.
The glazed eyes of porcelain clowns stare skywards at cloudsof goldfish madly circling their own silent plastic worlds, highabove the children who stuff ping pong balls like pillsin the mouths of slowly rotating heads.
Intentions true as the arrow's flight wins a cuddly toyto while away an evening. Outside this ring of lighthe'll claim his prize, she'll sport lovebites just toprove to all he's been there.
Jungle ride, jungle ride tell me when it's over.
Jungle ride, jungle ride tell me when it ends.
Oh here she comes round again, here she comes round again,here she comes round again, here she comes, here she comes.I crept along the edges of the parade, staying glued to theshadows where the dogs slept uneasily on their chainsunder the caravans.I followed the drums and the pulsing light until I came acrossa clearing in the centre of which was the attraction.
And then I saw her, an angel in a chariot, her hairtrailing behind her like the tail of a comet. And I knewthat she was mine. I knew that we were destinedto leave this place together. We didn't belong to thiscarnage and the knowledge of escape was the only thingkeeping me sane. But for now I could only watch andwait for this was an arena I dare not enter.
On the rim of the machine the animals had gathered.
Big cats at a waterhole waiting on the weak and woundedto stagger into their territory so they could exercisesome violence and feed their starving reputations.
No climbdown in this standoff with the world.
They already know that they can never win the warbut in this battle they're gonna do some damage.
The pack will follow the stragglers into the dawn.
Young mental jungle.
Jungle ride, jungle ride tell me when it's over
Jungle ride, jungle ride, tell me when it ends (rpt)
Here she comes round again, here she comes round again
Here she comes round again, here she comes, here she comes.
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