PECULIAR GIFTS

They were quiet, these strange places where the fires of hatred fanned out across flat landscapes, where the voices retreated beyond the middle distance, where the surveillance became less and less obtrusive. Sometimes he would sit somewhere and think, with a kind of wonder, "Nobody's watching." They had all withdrawn to a safe distance, but nothing passed unnoticed. There was a kind voice somewhere up the food chain, grizzly observers bored with the task. As if he wasn't bored himself. But they danced in the stream they created; and perhaps might learn to do better background checks. Never mind. One story ends and another begins. One door shuts and another opens. One piece of bastardry is a magnificent gift; because it throws light across the dangerous shallows, and opens a new path.

There were always turning times, when the fires of hell rained down from the sky and he shrank inside a shambolic appearance, crept qietly to the periphery of the compound, gazed out like some large eyed, nocturnal animal. ut if they weren't ravished with beauty in these places, at least there was safety. Except there was not. Our heads are dangerous places, do not enter alone, went the old saying. And if he wasn't quite so mundane, there was truth in the old adages. When in crisis deal with what is in front of your face, all of that. For the summer came. And the rains sparked new growth. The greening of the planet, they could say. He caught her listening to the same voices. He needed to escape. He needed a base.

A vengeful, pitiless God had been the bane of his childhood and was now, however briefly, the bane of his autumn years. He mustered as much grace and gratitude as he could muster, his face falling away in sloes, the same repetitive, obsessive thoughts swirling down little cyclonic puddles, the mud wet, as if the entire landscape had been doused in a flash flood. There they had been, the endless sad queues on the Day of Judgement. You will die. You will die. You have sinned. Vengeful, wrathful and pitiless, how was there comfort in that? But not for him to determine these things, let them be. Let them be.

There was much to do, frail oganisation. He couldn't see how anything, or perhaps everything, could be mustered, as he paced restlessly from one side of the bar to the other. Outside the rain blew in sheets; inside it was cold, although it was barely a month before Christmas and should have been hot. Bring back global warming, he said, but the line never got a laugh, people were too confused, didn't know whether they should feel frightened, concerned, or just donate to a worthy cause, vote for a gospel espousing politician. The religion of bureaucrats, sucked up and regurgitated by an intellectually impoverished media, had spread appropriate fear. Nobody knew what to think, or what, in this deadened place where the dead hand of socialism had won, they should be thinking. So they remained silent. In the ruins of what had once been a worker's paradise.

THE BIGGER STORY:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-18/kevin-rudd-defends-resignation-delay/5099886

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has rejected calls from the Coalition to finalise his resignation today.

Mr Rudd announced he was quitting politics last Wednesday, telling Speaker Bronwyn Bishop at the time he would officially resign towards the middle or end of this week.

A spokesperson for Mr Rudd says when he met with her last Thursday she did not indicate to Mr Rudd any reservations about this approach.

But Government frontbencher Christopher Pyne is calling on Mr Rudd to hand in his resignation today to allow a by-election before the end of the year.

Mr Rudd has issued a statement defending his timing, saying he has outstanding correspondence to deal with.

In his resignation speech Mr Rudd said in the days ahead he would be spending time with his wife Therese overseas, while celebrating their 32nd wedding anniversary.

Mr Rudd says a short delay between the announcement of his resignation and submitting a formal letter of resignation is entirely normal.

Yesterday, Brisbane doctor Bill Glasson put his hand up for Liberal National Party (LNP) preselection ahead of the upcoming by-election for Mr Rudd's seat of Griffith.

Dr Glasson, who is expected to be the LNP's candidate, caused a 5.5 per cent swing against the former prime minister at September's federal election.