Friday, August 30, 2013

SCORN #2

I dream of a billion years from now, when the earth is more bone than dirt, when the weight of the myriad dead have slowed the world’s orbit to a standstill. Half the planet lies nighted and frozen. Half burns. I wander this wasteland, clothed only in ashes. The cold I hate. I cannot abide there; it is too much like people I have known.


It is not pleasant, either, to see the sun hanging crimson and hungry over the day lit half of this place. That orb is swollen with its own rot and licks its lips in anticipation of the feast to come when the earth spirals into its mouth. But at least then I will be able to rest. Only another billion years to wait. 
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26 comments:

the walking man said...

I know it does seem like a long time doesn't it?

sage said...

Wow, interesting, I think I'd try to set up camp at the boundary between day and night.

Ty said...

I like this one even better than the first, which was solid.

Keep 'em up, one here, one there, as you have time, and you'll have a collection eventually.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That's a long wait...

Cloudia said...

Imagination!




Aloha

Charles Gramlich said...

Mark, nearly forever, if not quite that long.

Sage, that would be wisdom. You'd probably survive longer than I would.

Ty, hadn't really thought of a collection of them, although I have a couple more that I will post. a Chapbook type thing might be possible.

Alex, yes indeed, yes indeed.

Cloudia, thankee

ivan said...

Good writing jogs memories, and even pseudo-memories.

I am somehow reminded of Amanda Marhall's song, Dizzy:

Such a strange thing
We think we are in control
We always know
Until we don't
Funny how the world can spin so fast
And we don't crash
We just get dizzy

Randy Johnson said...

Nice imagery there. One can almost see oneself in such a situation.

Riot Kitty said...

Excellent! And very Dr. Who.

laughingwolf said...

fire up the rockets, fly high...

Prashant C. Trikannad said...

Charles, I liked your description of the sun — very vivid.

Charles Gramlich said...

Ivan, I like that. I do think sometimes we crash.

Randy, Most of these kinds of things come to me as images even before they are words. Or at least at the same time.

Riot Kitty, interesting. I suspect the Dr. Who feeling is from your experience since I've never watched it. We all bring to writing our own experiences. that's a good thing.

Laughingwolf, indeed. Hope the guy doesn't run into any apes there. :)

Prashant, the sun is usually shown as benign, I think. But it won't always be.

Oscar Case said...

That's really thinking ahead!

Travis Cody said...

"...the weight of the myriad dead..."

That's a chilling phrase. And the sun as predator...very jarring.

Nice work.

Charles Gramlich said...

Oscar, lol.

Travis Cody, thanks, man.

BernardL said...

Great addition.

Charles Gramlich said...

Bernard, thanks, glad you enjoyed.

Erik Donald France said...

Wicked, wicked, wicked.

mjini.com said...

Hi charles this what you writting is real amazing giving me powers has a succssesful writer an publisher to bring hope about any thing that is on your mind what goes around comes back around simple easy life is like that especial for the tycons

Charles Gramlich said...

Erik, tis what I was hoping for. :)

mjini, thanks for visiting. I appreciate the kind words.

Richard Prosch said...

Nice surreal mix of science and fantasy. I like it because it can go full circle from Lovecraftian weird to 1950s Superman quirky. (I can see Kal-el of those years walking the barren Earth. How will he get home?)

Charles Gramlich said...

Richard, I'm a mixture of my influences for sure.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I have dreams like this but I never write about them. They are too scary to put into words. Very nice when you do it though.

Charles Gramlich said...

Patti, thanks. Part of this was indeed from a dream.

jodi said...

Charles-I would not be able to live in your head. It's a scary place!

Charles Gramlich said...

Jodi, it's got plenty of old threadbare throw pillows and lots of stuffed bunnies. :)