The Rage of the Fleas by John A. A. Logan
William Blake claimed to have seen visions daily since he was a small child. One night in 1819, the spiritual apparition of a flea appeared before him during a séance. Asked to draw the image he had seen by astrologer, John Varley, Blake went one better and produced this miniature painting, The Ghost of a Flea: When not seeing visions in London, or perhaps in concordance with seeing them, Blake would “…wander thro' each charter'd street, Near where the charter'd Thames does flow. And mark in every face I meet Marks of weakness, marks of woe.” I’ve only ever seen three visions myself, and two of them this year. But, for now, let’s move on to other things… ********************** ’Twas the occasion of my 48 th birthday recently, and I thought I would take myself down to the centre of my local Highland Scottish town. It was around noon as I waited for the bus. Sometimes they don’t come at all now. You wait an hour for the next one, and then...