Tuesday 18 February 2014

Funk







                        "Time is the longest distance between two places."

                                                           ~ Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie







It's 12 35 and the clock has stopped and that's never happened before.


It was 12 35 when I was born and it has been ever since.







I have found myself knee deep in shit and it is dark, so dark I don't know where the ground starts and the sky begins. I am searching for the seam.



I am coughing and farting and vomiting at the same time. There should be a word for this phenomenon but at the moment I am happy for it to remain wordless.


I have other things on my mind and many questions.




Is this human shit or animal shit that I am sitting in? 

Where am I and who am I? And why has the clock stopped?







I can't begin to describe what it's like to live every 12 35 that has ever existed and to be every person that has lived and breathed for just 33 seconds.



33 Seconds.



That's all I have ever been given. It's not a lot of time at all, barely enough time to scratch my arse or brush my teeth.



I've been around the block.



I was there when they knocked down the Berlin Wall, I was Queen Victoria's chamber maid, I witnessed the great funk of 2257 and I even fucked Marilyn Monroe once for 33 seconds. Couldn't really get into it.



But most of the time it wasn't like that. Most of the time I was insignificant. Doing mundane things for 33 seconds like fastening my cuff links or crocheting or barking. That last one wasn't because I was insane, I was a German sheep dog once.







But now it's 12 36 and I'm up to my knees in shit trying to think of a word for coughing, farting and vomiting at the same time. I think I found the sky.



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I wrote this short piece for two challenges this week, Trifecta and Write On Edge.


For Trifecta the challenge was to write between 33 and 333 words using the word prompt, Funk. (The third definition of the word meaning a slump.) For Write on Edge the prompt was the Tennessee Williams quote that opened my piece. Take a look at both of these fantastic challenges, join in and connect.





















27 comments:

  1. What an interesting, and horrifying, idea: getting to live all those different lives, but only for the blink of an eye.

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    1. Thanks Angela :)

      Yes it helps that I am slightly unhinged ;)

      Thanks for popping over to my blog

      Ally :)

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  2. "I was there when they knocked down the Berlin Wall, I was Queen Victoria's chamber maid, I witnessed the great funk of 2257 and I even fucked Marilyn Monroe once for 33 seconds. Couldn't really get into it."

    What a unique premise and take on the Trifecta prompt. I enjoyed reading this not just for the concept but for the observations as well.

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    1. Thank You Andrew, I appreciate your comments :)


      Ally :)

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  3. Interesting. Sort of a twist on the reincarnation theme. I liked it!

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    1. Thank You :) Glad you liked it and thanks for visiting Sarah Laughs


      Ally:)

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  4. this was so interesting to me and so hopeful. On the surface, the time travel, the ability to be someone (anyone) for 33 seconds seems more like a torture than a dream, but then you think of being SOMEONE for 33 seconds , inhabiting those thoughts, feelings, brain of that person and it's extraordinary. How often have each of us wished to be "someone" for a small amount of time. Even fucking Marilyn for 33 seconds seems like a privilege of some kind.

    and then he gets freedom, shit..yes, but the clock moving forward and him moving with it instead of changing.
    You named it Funk, but maybe it should have been simply, Hope.

    great, interesting, vivid, work.

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  5. This was very interesting, however did you come up with such an unusual story?

    33 seconds, as someone isn't much time to really learn much, but its enough time to experience something different and perhaps amazing!

    Well done on joining these two challenges!

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  6. Ally, this piece is pirate cool. It's always such a treat to find original and refreshing takes on these prompts and I declare that you did just that!

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    1. Thanks you Valerie, Pirate cool is brill with me :;)

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  7. I agree with Valerie, this was a wonderfully clever take on the prompt. Most of all, it's a fun read.

    LOL You have a dark, but delightful way of writing, which I enjoy very much:~) I like the mundane activities, especially the "bark" and being the "German sheep dog" once. Oh, I'll be laughing for awhile over this story! Well done.

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    1. Thank You Sarah, what wonderful and encouraging comments :)

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  8. Super rhythmic and hypnotic. A lot of depth here, plenty of questions. But, the darkness, and emptiness all formed around this fully whole person - who doesn't care - is fun. Reminds me of the opening sequence in "Sound and the Fury"

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  10. Kudos to your imagination Ally-this is incredibly fascinating!Loved the novel concept:-)

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  11. What a fantatic story! I love the premise and the way you worked it. Love 'searching for the seam' and not being able to get into fucking M Monroe. The last sentence blew me away!

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  12. Wow, not sure what to think of this, lol, but I Like it! It certainly makes me want to know more. Great story!

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  13. Wow. Just danged brilliant, Ally!

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    1. Thank You Troy :) that means a lot

      Ally :)

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  14. I know what to think of this--I like it. I like it a lot. Great original take on the prompt. Thanks for linking up.

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    1. Thankyou :) I am loving trifecta, it's a privilege to link up with a great challenge


      Ally :)

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  15. really enjoyed this neat take on the prompt

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