“Zooooooooooom ……..BANG!!”, with a defiant shrug she shuts off the deafening, bone shattering explosion and floats back to her favourite reverie…now where was she up to? Oh yes…generous hips swathed in a turquoise, jewel encrusted gossamer skirt, curvaceous midriff bare, ample bosoms lusciously spilling over a beaded bra liberally sprinkled with sequins of every imaginable colour. Wispy silk strips flow from a flimsy bra strap, fussing around shyly before softly settling on chocolate tinged skin. Silk and arms flow and float, light as air, fluid as molten lava.

Fingers adorned with rings, nails stained with Henna, eyes rimmed with Kohl, lips of ruby red; precious stones clustered around a delicate neck, and midnight curls crowned in beaded headdress; emerald earrings, oiled skin, tinkling bracelets; swaying hips and soulful melodies meld and merge moving as one. An ancient rhythm; beyond time, beyond place, beyond religion and beyond race.

No detail nor colour, no fabric nor feel is left to chance in this inner world, this sanctuary of opulent visions and unending peace. Tedious attention to minute detail requires intense focus. Intense focus entails total detachment from physical surrounds. Total detachment from physical surrounds implies survival.

She lived in a faraway land under constant threat of complete and utter annihilation. Her world was in the grips of a ruthless battle over lands and dominion, over race and religion. A world kneeling before the relentless onslaught of lethal weaponry designed to paint a landscape of rubble and dust. Whizzing and banging and booming and blaring constantly heard, becomes the backdrop as life grinds to a halt. A whole nation had been forced underground scurrying for shelter and quivering like mice.

In intense concentration she brings the other world back into sharp focus, tuning out the now all too familiar chaos to a hazy distant hum,…now where was she, Oh yes…generous hips swathed in a turquoise  jewel encrusted  gossamer skirt, curvaceous midriff bare, ample bosoms lusciously spilling over beaded bra…