A Moon Dance (Kikong Baterya)

Last night the pizza box had a strange, yellowish gleam. It wasn't the lamp post, there's a full moon

up there partially eclipsed by Sunnyholt Road's noise barrier wall.

Inside the house the tv talking head just announced a lunar eclipse happening 4th of this month. He said the moon will be red owing to gases that the earth's shadow would have agitated. I got excited..felt a pinch in my heart, maybe it's that piece of meat-lovers delight I ate. Minutes later I spotted the full moon in the wide open pizza box which now resembled its dark side, and right after all the round, sliced meat were plucked out by younger family members.

Everyone got inside soon after the first chilly breeze blew in while an ominous black cloud reduced the full moon to a subdued halo. Ugh, what a disappointment. Well I thought I'd lift the veil and expose my moon thoughts, being a moon child myself (astrologically that is). This is when I remembered Kikong Baterya! (right click on image to magnify and become readable in a new window)

Kiko (nickname for Francisco, first name of a famous Filipino poet) was a comics character I invented for a vague Filipino-Australian magazine that existed back in '91. He was part of my Lumbay (Melancholy) illustrated series of work.

Not shy to admit I was playing Van Morrison's Moondance all along while obsessively inking this genre of a comics. Moondance digs deep into my psyche as it was part of a long, depressed mood of a time I've long forgotten; yet it still fuels ocean tides of feeling in me, especially when black clouds loomed no more.

So there, Kiko was just a fictitious guy that fed my lunacy during times of creative loneliness. He wasn't popular with magazine editor at that time, telling me it's too heavy for her readers to comprehend (Maybe she's right but I can't believe she can judge the Filipino readers outright) It's all part of printed entertainment. Incidentally I saw that editor just the other day in a restaurant and she sure looked quite heavy enough to appreciate Kikong Baterya now:)

More of Kiko Komiks if I find the rest of them.

Meanwhile I have to find my trusty tripod to take a shot of this morning's lunar eclipse. Go away black clouds!

ps

Here's lyrics of Moondance by Van the Man! If you can hack the guitar or piano it's best to play it in A minor. More info at this cool site.

Well, its a marvelous night for a moondance

With the stars up above in your eyes

A fantabulous night to make romance

neath the cover of october skies

And all the leaves on the trees are falling

To the sound of the breezes that blow

And Im trying to please to the calling

Of your heart-strings that play soft and low

And all the nights magic seems to whisper and hush

And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush

Chorus:

Can I just have one a more moondance with you, my love

Can I just make some more romance with a-you, my love

Well, I wanna make love to you tonight

I cant wait til the morning has come

And I know that the time is just right

And straight into my arms you will run

And when you come my heart will be waiting

To make sure that youre never alone

There and then all my dreams will come true, dear

There and then I will make you my own

And every time I touch you, you just tremble inside

And I know how much you want me that you cant hide

Chorus Repeat 1st verse

One more moondance with you in the moonlight

On a magic nightLa, la, la, la in the moonlight

On a magic night

Cant I just have one more dance with you my love