Jack July

No Ordinary Day

Along towards noon

A shady garden

Bits and pieces of a cycle

A table laid with mechanical parts

Gearwheels, pedal arms, toe-clips

Screws, cables, a couple of busy hands

The whole thing pulled to pieces

 This is no ordinary day…

 …Ole ritter eats by himself

This is no ordinary day

A handful of greasy ball bearings

The cycle’s vital parts mustn’t fail today

A good solid lunch in peace and quiet

Everything a body needs for nourishment

Today the grease is removed from the bearings

Today nothing must upset him

All resistance is reduced to a minimum

This meal is his hour of solitude

There is time today for the perfect touch

This meal has to be digested in four hours

And then his cycle must be ready

It’s all part of the ritual which strengthens this man’s morale on this particular day

A final touch

A confidential remark

This is the way to exercise the power of coincidence

This is the way to make ready for the trial of truth

From Stars and Watercarriers, linked by Mills: part of the mesmerizing narration of Ole Ritter’s preparations for a time trial.  Towards the end of this reading (which I only minimally punctuated in order not to dishonestly portray the piece as independent), footage alternates between the preparations of Ole and those of his machine.  Abby, Mills, and I watched this together this weekend, sharing a disbelief at its intensity which has not yet left me.