The Enormous Nothing

The leaves moved across the sand like lizards until there were no more leaves and only the soft sound of countless specks of former mountains tumbling in slow-motion along the never-never. David Kngwarreye stood silently in the sun. Today would be a better day, of this the birds had sung. Sky would turn to water, snakes would dance in the wind, and David would cross the Kakadu in bare feet like his ancestors before him. Tomorrow would be his death. Of this, he was sure. But today stretched before him like eternity and that would be a good thing. He was alive for today, and that was a good thing.