Day 339: How Billy Bottlebum Sees the World

How Billy Bottlebum Sees the World
by
Matt Zurbo

 

Here’s the way Billy Bottlebum sees the world…
(Small kid in a billy cart, white background.)

Most of us are Vikings.
(Kid in billy cart, passing other kids, at school crossing, and shouting crossing attendant, all doing their usual things, with backpacks, but dressed as Vikings.)

Dragons are real.
(Kid in billy cart, small, looking up at neck and head of huge dragon, surrounded by dusk clouds.)

Birds are full of wisdom.
(Kid, standing, looking up at birds in branches. Each one is singing, but words are flowing out instead. “For something to live, something must die…”, “When I am full I am safe…”, “Love is the power supreme…”)

Bees like to sing.
(Face watching bees flying. Two of every three has a small trumpet it is blowing.)

More people should wear octopus hats.
(Kid walking past business man with octopus hats.)

The moon has power.
(Owl, under full moon, wings spread, attacking field mouse.)

The way water flows is amazing…
(Kid somehow in matchbox boat, flowing down rapids. No background.)

Life would be more interesting if everybody’s imaginary friends could see everybody’s imaginary friend.
(Kids walking, various giants, hairy beasts, unicorns, angels, flying friends, all beside them.)

Animals have souls.
(Kid surrounded by Dog, cat, birds, lizard, wombat, each one has mist rising to form a spirit, that is representative of the animal. Cat one is mean. Lizard had a crown and is a king. Dog is half human, wearing a suit, etc…)

There are strange things living under us.
(Kid walking, while behind him a mass of tentacles and eyes and flowers growing up from drain.)

His teacher is a superhero.
(Viking kids looking up at superhero teacher, pointing to image on the board, of a bee with a trumpet, and relevant notes.A few tentacles are coming out of air vents.)

Some moments are perfect.
(Kid in hammock, lazing. Billy cart parked in grass. A few musical bees passing. A powerful rainbow base is filling the air in front of him.)

Every scar tells a story.
In hurt you feel.
(Billy cart crashing into a rock. Kid flying through air. Musical bees passing.)

The way Billy sees it, good moments should be frozen in time…
(Three kids jumping, in turn, off a pier, smiling, towards water below. Seagulls sitting on or flying about them as if they were still.)

Bullies are small.
(Kid being bushed by miniature bully, falling back over other miniature bully who is kneeing behind him. Bullies still dressed as Vikings.)

The world needs more puppets and floating devices.
(Kid in street. Everybody still dressed as Vikings. Two of every three people, and animals, are puppets. Dangling, casually, in air are several people with roped around their waists attached to balloons, or miniature mechanical zephyrs.)

Radios and music devices do have tiny people in them, playing music!
(Kid, dressed as Viking, dancing, small musicians playing while standing or sitting on his arms, shoulders, head. Other musicians pouring out of ear speakers and iPod on ground at his feet.)

There should be more towers.
(Kid, wind in hair, chair in hand, standing on top of tower built with furniture and toys.)

Wombats know something really important that we don’t.
(Kid looking down on wombat eating grass.)

Bad weather is beautiful.
(Kid on billy cart, under massive, brewing storm.)

Beautiful!
(Kid, arms back, chest out, chin up, eyes closed, smiling into cold, swirling winds, rain, brilliant, swirling clouds. Every other character from book being thrown about behind him.)

Billy Bottlebum thinks that’s the best way of seeing things of them all.
(Kid, fully rugged up, wind blowing scarf, standing under brilliant, shifting, cold grey clouds. Wombat behind him, sitting in billy cart.)

 

The End