Black Dog
“The Black Dog I hope always to resist, and in time to drive…”
Samuel Johnson
M awoke with the feeling that something was wrong. He looked toward his nightstand, where the alarm clock quietly told the time, seven a.m. The sunlight shined through venetian blinds, stretching across the floor, along the foot of M's bed and up the opposite wall, creating stripes, which to M, hinted things he could not recall.
No, something was not right, but he could not explain what. He tried to think, but his head ached, his thoughts in a haze. "Pea soup" he muttered, remembering how someone once described the fog. He felt a pressure behind his eyes, pushing inward, surrounding his consciousness. He had trouble thinking, remembering, but somehow, maybe instinctively, he knew something was wrong.
M thought to stand, but did not. There seemed no point, and as a rule he did not do pointless things. He looked for his clothes, but that too seemed meaningless. In dire times, were men without their pants? He smiled ruefully, "ad absurdum" he quipped.
Something definitely was wrong, and since it was, the safest place to be was in his bed...and so M lay his head back on his pillow, trying not to think...maybe tomorrow would be different.
Author notes
"Curtain" is implied, or one of its connotations at least...a barrier, veil...
ad absurdum: To the absurd (to the point of absurdity.)
Black Dog: to tell you that is to give away too much.
Yes, the Johnson quote puts me over the limit, talk to my lawyer.
In a list
A contest entry
- Curtains - short stories by MariGoes.
700 points, ended June 4, 10 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
A Shocking Tale Of Horror!
Comments
1 - 6 of 6
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Excellent
Oh wow!!!!!!!!!
What a fantastic piece of work you have yourself here.
A story wrapped up in so very few words.
Just my kinds of reads when it comes to stories.
Congratulations on your Silver trophy win.
So very well deserved my friend.
Very well deserved indeed.
Well done.
Keep up with the great work.
Keep on penning.
Thank you so very much for sharing your wonderful talents with us.
*S* Cynthia
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I happen to know one of the meanings to Black dog and is the one that applies here.
Curtain is indeed implied here, and I must say you used it as a very good metaphor. It's like having a heavy curtain keeping you from seeing the day light, way too heavy to be removed...
I have felt days like that, I knew what was wrong though; just absence of energy (mostly mental) to put a foot out of bed. Unfortunately - or fortunately I think - I can't really afford to let heavy curtains keeping me in bed.
You and prose are like me and haiku, simply fit together
Thanks for the not boring non entry!
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This just dares someone
to draw open the curtain on the stage,
to enter the scene, pull up the blinds,
and let out that black dog of melancholy
that holds M in his bed.
Now if that were a woman
feeling that something was wrong,
defintely wrong, with an impending
visit to the hospital, perhaps,
she would drag herself out of bed
to check that all her makeup and
other essentials were packed in
the emergency going-to-the-hospital-bag.
Well, this woman would.
May M shed himself of the black dog
and once again see clearly thru the fog.
Unique interpretation of the curtain,
as one would expect from Sir Ima/Yem.
Aesthete
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Wonderful comment, mainly because I know the lady and can't imagine the black dogs she chased away. Wisdom beyond my feeble words to praise. But have a They're free but make believe they cost something.
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Don't have to make believe,
because I KNOW they are priceless
awarded by the Moxie Man!
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A curtain across a view of life, seeing things through dim curtain...a condition...from Horace to Sir Winston...this title says it all so very well...PK
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