Here´s to Roppotucha´s Creatures!

The last weeks and months have been weighing on me health-wise and heart-wise, with the Muse turning up her nose, but who can blame her with all that´s been going on. So now I must thank a bunch of creatures that unexpectedly kept me sane with just the right dose of crazy.

The Austrian Government is in disarray, which is probably a good thing after the shenanigans of what is now an ex-chancellor. But the people have to be vigilant in these times of #me-me by the #ignorant and #greedy. On the other side of the world, its role model, Australia is being run by a holy roller, so Austria perhaps got off lightly, for now. Interestingly, neither Austria nor Australia ever came to terms with their violent and bigoted pasts, dragging them on to still fester today.

I have no answers, but maybe there is one in the manifest of the young: System Change.

But do they have to wait for us oldies to die out before they have the means to save the world for themselves and for theirs? Greta wants us on board, so what are we waiting for? Stock market advice?

Enter Roppotucha Greenberg and her creatures. No political movement this. Just a bit of clever and astute craziness in the mad world many of us ignore while others succumb to the siren songs of supremacy and tribalism.

Creatures give Advice by Roppotucha Greenberg is a work of deep whimsy – an oxymoron, you say? Maybe, but look at this blogpost.

Many of the questions for advice from the Creatures (I had to do them upper-case justice) elicited ample food for thought one could turn every which way. So much so, that I was inspired to write a little flash in response to the advice my own question received. So happy was I with that advice that I sent the flash out into the world, but there were no takers. No matter. We are not all fired by the same motivation, n’est-ce pas? So here now, as a thank you to Roppotucha´s Creatures, is my flash entitled “Roppotucha´s Doodles” as a response to a question inspired by the gallivanting of the now deposed horse-loving former Austrian Inferior Minister:

Roppotucha´s Doodles

She was writing to Romans, but they had not listened, so I snuck in under the belly of a horse of the Trojan persuasion. She asked if we had urgent questions about life. In response, she would draw weird doodles.

I wanted my own perfect horse with a horn. Where could I get one to gallop with me against all odds being proclaimed by the Minister of Ugliness in my own dear land?

Roppotucha swore it was just a rumour, but she proceeded to draw it as a great iron door, and behind it, the Gorgon Medusa. Medusa was headless, her back to the hero Perseus still with his sword held aloft to slash at the last of the snakes in her coif. Behind them the Pegasi, more human than many a human today, despite the breadth of their wings shielding the most beautiful horned beast. A mare in many senses with stars in her mane. Her horn exuded the most dulcet tones through different hues of lilac and eggshell, ending in a crescendo of purple to show that she would do her almightiest to save the world, if I would just have faith and believe in the power of youth.

I leapt onto her back and waved Roppotucha farewell. We are off, I cried, off to my land where they sing for the rights of all things human, a land where they dance and hug and carry banners to change the minds of the heartless monsters now ruling there.

Goddess-speed, sang Roppotucha. The weird ones will win, but never forget the young voiceless ones. It is they who finally are to prevail.

And so it was to be. The Romans back then had to learn the hard way. With my horned mare and armed with weird songs, I galloped over sea, hill and dale, hope in my heart and with visions of Perseus slaying a Gorgon, onwards against all credible odds.

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So onto the next, be it battle or respite, … I hear there is another healing Roppotucha book in preparation…in any case, as ever, onwards!