octipus rex 20

(From Vaclav's Journal)

tonight we had a special dinner to celebrate Andre-Richard's birthday. the menu consisted of platypus under plastic, poached penguin eggs and pineapple punch. for dessert there was a pink pound cake with grape frosting.
of course we had to make everything as flashy as possible to please him. I am sure that he was disappointed that the decorations were not designed by Pierre Saint-Klein. Herbert had red and orange napkins made. Martin spent a week making the ballroom look like the inside of an ear. Joy composed a piece for trumpet that Martin played as a fanfare when Andre-Richard entered the ballroom.
everyone wore fire-engine-red wigs and purple lipstick and nail varnish. they also wore lemon-yellow cassocks. I only wore the lemon-yellow cassock.
before eating we recited the following very solemnly in unison:
     the purple apple with green wings flew into the red eye of the orange giant
     the camel with three humps was attacked by a giant marshmallow
     all throughout tokyo there was a feeling of mistrust of french men with smelly feet
     amen
then we played "happy birthday" very solemnly on our kazoos, and we all sat down to eat notat all very solemnly.
after we finished the cake, presents were presented to Andre-Richard. Joy gave him a large box of purple pens. Herbert gave him a recording of music by John Cage. Martin gave him a painting of a flea shooting elephants in someone's navel. I gave him a copy of The Selected Writings of Gertrude Stein. John's gift was the dinner. Raymond interpreted Penderecki's Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra as a gift. we brought the flashy evening to a close by reciting the following very solemnly:
     elephants walk softly where wise men dare not eat cauliflower
     the sun never watched saturday morning television so
     why should we polish bagels
     and the red and purple cat said to the pink penguin
     let us rest for the sky is full of lead whales
     amen
our recitations were from Andre-Richard's mass of the church of the nouveau gauche, and we were dressed as priests of the church of the nouveau gauche.
goodnight.