Oasis in the deserta yellow abstract painting

Late in 2015, I found myself staggering across a desert in a faraway land. I was ill after having little to eat or drink for a seemingly endless amount of time. As I crested a dune – I double-blinked. I thought I was seeing a mirage. In the shimmering heat, a beautiful oasis appeared in the near distance. I opened and shut my eyes several times again, thinking it was a hallucination. It wasn’t. I had found the proverbial oasis in the desert.

I summoned up all of the energy I could muster and ran my depleted body down the face of the dune. Upon arrival at the edge of the oasis, I was met by the most beautiful Persian princess one could imagine. She held up a palm to signal for me to halt. She announced, “Mr. Bert Ernie.” She knew my name – how strange. “Yes, that is me.” “Explain yourself and that t-shirt you are wearing!” I looked down at my t-shirt. I had forgotten that I was wearing it – it said ‘FIFH. Die for Allah.’ I began to explain, “Ahh, it’s a hardcore punk band…”.

It took quite some time to explain myself. Eventually, the Persian princess began to see that the wild-haired Australian traveler was no threat and offered him sanctuary in the oasis. I stayed for a time before bidding her farewell. I greatly miss the Persian princess.

Bert Ernie