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Predator-Prey

by dr_mandrill 

Posted: 25 January 2004
Word Count: 272
Summary: One of the many scenarios I've imagined for my death.


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Aching, sore and stitch-sided I knelt
And grabbed a second’s rest from the pursuing menace.
I was naked, bloody-footed
And alone in the clearing.

Holding tight my breath I listened for footsteps.
Nothing.
Eyes spied from the black between the trees.
Like the stars shining in the deeper black,
They remained indifferent.

Is this it? I thought; and
Will it be like this for everyone?

A twig snapped.
I stood
Buckled
Fell
Sprawled
Crawled
Cried
Slumped
Against a rotten oak so wide around it could have been a wall.
My terror-sob became a weak and teary giggle
And then a sob again while the darkness condensed
And congealed
And strode towards me across damp leaf litter.

Almost a man, my hunter was not how I’d imagined.
His eyes were nearly eyes,
And kind.
The face, whilst intended only as a vague approximation,
Was suited by the easy smile.
Everything about him comforted.
I hadn’t expected him that way!
My nightmares were all wrong!
I was laughing again
And the knots in my shoulder
Began to untie.

‘A good chase you made;’ he grinned,
‘…but no reprieve.’

That face.
How could I begrudge him this?
I'd known him my whole life...
Or he’d known me
Or whatever. And so naked in the freezing midnight forest
The hunter’s bow didn’t daunt me.
I thought my smiles might split my face
And I offered up the sweet spot on my chest.

‘I didn’t want to run forever.’ I said,
Thinking I might sleep while he looked on.
‘Good for you,’ he chuckled,
Pulling back the string with two calloused fingers,
‘…but no one runs forever.’






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Comments by other Members



Fearless at 12:08 on 25 January 2004  Report this post
Excellent. I particularly loved:

'Almost a man, my hunter was not how I’d imagined.
His eyes were nearly eyes,
And kind.
The face, whilst intended only as a vague approximation,
Was suited by the easy smile.
Everything about him comforted.
I hadn’t expected him that way!
My nightmares were all wrong!'


It's never as you imagine...perhaps death is our mirror image, perhaps it looks comforting if we lived a full life and perhaps its terrifying if we lived the life of a coward. Mind you, what would I know, having turned psychotic, what with ballads to torture and some weird, fuckass dreams? My death will probably show up as an affronted circus midget (full of fistin' fun with a step ladder) or Orville the friggin' duck, with his hand up a Keith Harris puppet.

If you get a chance, have a read of that great tract of alcoholic philosophy, 'Moscow Stations'by Venedikt Yerofeev...worth it just to see him pursued by the four horsemen of the communist apocalypse who killed him.

Write on.

Psychotic

roovacrag at 12:58 on 25 January 2004  Report this post
Well done,like a bad dream,enjoyed "a good chase you made,but no reprieve" Also reminded me of an old film The naked runner where he had to run for his life or be killed by savages.Could feel the adrenalin flow as i read it.As always a great poem.xxxxxxxAlice

dr_mandrill at 13:59 on 25 January 2004  Report this post
Hey, thanks guys.

And fearless- thanks for the recommendation. Yerofeev sounds cool. The Amazon synopsis for Moscow Stations says he drinks 'eau de cologne based cocktails'. Sounds like the guy's gotta lotta class.

I've put him on my very long amazon wishlist, but until I can afford the £5.59 I'm gonna try to bully my local library into getting a copy. My hopes aren't high, as they've recently burned most of the books to make way for DVDs of Toy Story, and more Terry Pratchett books-on-tape. To be fair to my local library though: they've got the best selection of DIY manuals in England.


dm

Fearless at 14:08 on 25 January 2004  Report this post
dm

If u want a loan of the book, email me at cynical_woz@hotmail.com.

fearless

Sparrow_splitter at 17:57 on 25 January 2004  Report this post
I like the epic nature of your death but I always imagined you going like Guevara. With dissentry, pissing shit through your fingers.

Sparrow

dr_mandrill at 18:08 on 25 January 2004  Report this post
Oh yeah? Well your mail-order bride probably won't even bury you; she'll just skip town with all your cash and leave your body to the geckos, man.

TO THE GECKOS


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