Sea Breezes

All at sea, all across the sea, above the waves, never below. A family of Sea Breezes on an outing. I am not you and you are not me, are we several?

Where shall we go today? Most likely this way and then that. Every which way I expect.

The Blue Knight, on an errand to disperse his drops of Kindness on well-known winds and breezes, chases after them in vain.

Excuse me, might I have word? I can’t keep up in this rowing boat, could you slow down for a moment? Please. Rowing furiously, breathing hard.

The Breezes circle and come about, the rowing boat above the lapping water and the boat begins to turn around gently.

Thank you, said the BK catching his breath, I would like to ask a favour, or indeed trade favours if that be your wish. Some Essence of Kindness has come to my possession, and I would appreciate your help in dispersal.

Well, spoke the Chief Breeze, We Sea Breezes have always blown in a very random manner by habit and variety. Our dream, one day, is to blow in a choreographed Ballet of Breezes, so that we may take part in the cultural narrative of the planet. Not be forever destined to blow this way and that, at the behest of circumstance or time of day. If you can facilitate the realisation of our dream, we could certainly oblige with the Dispersal of Kindness.

That is excellent, said the Blue Knight shipping his oars, We come straight to the heart of our trade. May I ask, do you envision an orchestral musical accompaniment and an extensive backdrop with flying scenery, or will your epic be played out in private with no audience but us penguins.

We would welcome an audience, said the Breeze, After the rehearsal period of course. Music should accompany as an equal partner in our work, but we will throw our spectacle against the natural backdrop of the rolling sea as our scenery. There will be need for costumes and makeup, and a director of some kind will be inevitable. I wonder if Stephan Talkmountain or maybe Quincy Tarentella are available? Perhaps we may open on Broadway soon?

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, cautioned the Knight, One breeze at a time. First and foremost, you will need a narrative that will tap into the very nerve endings of your audience.

Perhaps the tale of a heroic wind who must, for reasons to be invented, seek out the very source and fountain of winds, probably far away and difficult to get to. Encountering several characters on her journey, who lead her to question things, for both good and evil.

I’m not sure, said the Wind, have you written this type of thing before? We were thinking of something more abstract and sweeping in scope.

No, said the Blue Knight, I am not a writer, but I am an avid reader and I know how these things go.

What shall be her name, our heroic wind? Asked the Breeze.

She could be called Elspeth, said the BK, a lost zephyr, a wandering soul. We need to be acquainted  with her back story, thusly to tie herself to the world more secure in our minds. Small side stories about flitting around the trees etc. She travels about in a windy way, searching, searching, until one day she finds a signpost or overhears someone in a pub saying, the fount of all wind is in the north, where a great hole in the ground allows them to issue forth and begin their travels.

I shall go to the cave of winds she decides, and off she breezes.

The range of characters that she meets along the way could amongst the following, a snake oil salesman with the gift of the gab, a dentist with ulterior motives, twin acrobats from Bulgaria, a horse with a star marking upon its forehead, a bank clerk, an unemployed oil rig worker, a girl selling matches in a ragged dress, twelve itinerant fruit pickers, a swimming instructor, a lost team of basketball players or a small animal.

No, said the Sea Breeze, that is not our sort of thing at all. We go for the music of the spheres and grand abstract universal themes. Sweeping gesture and dynamic opposition. Leave the artistic content to us and go and organise the first night bash. We will need a free bar and some exotic entertainment.

Fine, said the Blue Knight, somewhat put out, I was just trying to help.