Friday, September 26, 2014

Trolling The Cosmos for Breadcrumbs........






Swamp by Polyraspad



Herotomost here Toads, trying to do a good deed in exchange for my bad deed of forgetting my Friday Challenge last Friday.  Shay asked if I could fill in this week and after much begging and gnashing of teeth, Kerry relented but, then quickly indicated that it does not solve the issue of my probation for missing my post. She also indicated that I must still wear the manacles and leather chaps through the remainder of the month....not sure what the leather chaps are about but hey, do the crime...yeah, yeah.

So here it goes...picture a Louisiana swamp, not a roadside swamp.  I am talking a back woods, have to fight alligators and water moccasins and giant spiders, while poling your skiff across murky green-brown water.  The smell of decay so thick that when you blow your nose, mushrooms cover the paisley pattern of your handkerchief. What the hell are you doing here? This no place for a writer of your caliber.  No place for someone with your delicate sensibilities.  No place for a Toad that belongs writing poetry in the Garden of the Gods.  It so happens, that while having a plate of crawfish and a couple of high balls at Shreveport's finest dining establishment, you over a heard a young woman sobbing while talking to an old man at a corner table.  You cocked your ear and heard a story of misery and woe from the woman and a tale of a perpetually young boy of 12 who knows the Universal Truth, from the old man. You overheard directions and warnings, the exchanging of coin and a trail of endless thank you's as the woman rushed out the door. You turned to grab your bag from the back of the chair, intending on joining the old man to get more details on just what this man believes is the secret to life, the universal truth, but when you turned back he was gone.  With what little description you gleaned and armed with a sense that this would make the greatest story ever, you man (or woman) up and go in search of the Universal Truth.

Deep in the swamp you come across a dilapidated wooden structure, a shack on stilts.  On the porch is what looks to be this twelve year old boy.  You climb from your skiff and make your way on to the porch.  As you approach, you look into the brown eyes of the boy and your heart stops beating in your chest.  You hook gazes with the boy whose eyes are empty and full at the same time. When you look deeper you can see the universe spinning in each eye, stars forming, planets winking out, the cries of an infinite number of organic life forms.  You snap out of your trance long enough to ask him the question......"What is the Universal Truth?"


Wall Art - Isla Holbox Mexico


And he says......


Oh, this is your part dear Toads....please put it the form of an ancient Aboriginal stone carving.  Not!!!!! You know you can use any form that you would like....poem, short, flash, incomplete sentence, billboard.  But I want to know what the boy says, can it be true?  Is it just hyperbola, is he Tony Robbins son?  Who knows...oh wait, you do.  Muster what you can and thanks for being patient and reading through this little scenario, I am sure it will produce some great writing.  Off to Vegas for a wedding, will read throughout the weekend as I can. Love you all and have a great weekend.

18 comments:

brudberg said...

Ah.. I like this .. to use your imagination to go to place you've never been to .. and feel the smells of the swamp in that boy's voice.. snapping good.. I'll see what I can come up with..

Outlawyer said...

Ha. Lovely prompt. K.

Maude Lynn said...

Wait a minute. So, are you saying that the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is NOT 42?

Hannah said...

LOVE your bit of Flashy Fiction, Hero...as Bjorn stated, "snapping good," indeed. I'm tuning into the truth as we speak and will return...have a wonderful time at the wedding! :)'s

Margaret said...

Crazy-busy day and … this is a hard prompt for me. I will for SURE visit and comment later tonight. Not suer I have such answers in me… I'm just trying to keep four teenage girls social lives straight :)

Hannah said...

Thank you...apologies for my truth going dark-side...

Margaret...you could write the truth that lives in that task...that would be intriguing. :)

Stacy M.S. said...

i had a great time with this one...love that swamp pic. off to read and comment, but will stop by again later this evening as well. :)

Helen said...

Awesome challenge! A masterpiece on its own! Remember what happens in LAS ......

Audrey Howitt aka Divalounger said...

What a wonderful prompt! Thank you. I am off today and so am very happy to be visiting you!

Unknown said...

Interesting prompt...Kind of makes me want to have a blog just for answering these. haha

hedgewitch said...

this a very provoking--I mean thought provoking--challenge, Corey. I shall cogitate upon it while you are off with the par-tay and boogie-down time in the place where Stephen King set the end of the world. Good luck with that. ;_)

Magaly Guerrero said...

This was just what I needed today. Thank you! The thoughts for my entry began to take shape yesterday... I started to write a poem for Susie's P.O.W. (since my words get so heave when I write about my little brother), but it just wouldn't work... then I saw your prompt, and boom!

By the way, I don't believe the bit about the manacles and the leather chaps. I don't believe it for one minute. Unless I see pictures. *cough*

Susan said...

Mine is pure fantasy. I'm an incurable romantic looking for the right group of outlaws. Thanks for the challenge, Corey.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

OH! MY! GOD! What a FANTASTICALLY original prompt. (I have no clue how to respond to it, but still, it is a fabulous jumping off point for those with brains less decrepit than mine.) I think you likely have redeemed yourself, dear Hero, with this prompt.It is amazing. As always, I wont read anyone's responses till i have written mine........

Sherry Blue Sky said...

p.s. Your title alone, Trolling the Cosmos for Breadcrumbs, is the best thing I've read all week...........

Jim said...

K, if your fellow, new found friend, knew, how would tell you, "I want a friend like you surely have, one like Mrs. Jim has." Both of the ladies in my picture are from Louisiana although they met here in the Houston area.
Funny, I (from Nebraska) have the web toes, not Mrs. Jim.
I hope you'll forgive me for my link today but your little tyke needs a friend out there in the Boonies.
..

Anonymous said...

Hi Corey--you said anything--mine is anything and way too long--so sorry! It is what it is! Thanks for the interesting prompt! k.

Herotomost said...

This prompt really took a great shape and focus, some remembering people and sharing their pasts and presents and some waxing poetically and philosophically on what really matters....either way, its a win and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for participating.