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Friday 3 February 2012

new postcard home from confusenik Martian.

Another aspect of their culture seen today:
they have the same small flat and shiny stone
communicators - about the size of Earthling hands -
that we employ for summoning our space craft
or de-materialising for a journey in near space.
They take them everywhere, but seem to have
no space craft of their own - for I've seen none.
And furthermore, the Earthlings, it appears, are made of
anti-de-materialising stuff. I've not seen one go down
the way we do. Instead, these Earthlings open up their stones
like wallets and then stab them with their fingers
as if they mean to hurt. The stones then spring to life
and music comes or faces of the Earthlings' friends, and then
we find they've voices trapped inside. Or squiggles wiggle
all across the stone - but still the stone just sits there
like it's dumb. They oooooh and ahhhhh, these Earthlings do
to see the lines and shapes, the signs and symbols on their stones,
but still no space ship comes. Technology frustrates them all
the time. They just can't handle it. I saw one Earthling rise
in anger at his stone and slam the damned thing shut -
his words, not mine. Sometimes their holy stones - for such
they are, they worship them! - run out of zergon, or whatever
powers the things. They put them then on charge.
Sometimes that takes all night. or so it seems to me.
But still the space ship doesn't come incredibly!
................................................
A dVerse Poets prompt inspired by Craig Raine's famous poem - but you really should follow my link and read the prompt there.

21 comments:

Tom said...

my spaceship is in the shop

Jenny Woolf said...

I didn't know Craig Raine's poem, even though it is famous. I will not look it up. I loved your take on this.

Manicddaily said...

Ha. I am on one of my stones right now. I'm having morning tea though, so the spaceship can wait. K.

Semaphore said...

I guess the Martian sent more than ONE postcard home. Nice take on this!

Laurie Kolp said...

That's funny, Dave.

barbara said...

Fun.
You suppose Martian com devices have postcard apps? I want one!

Cait O'Connor said...

I would be considered a rare being as I haven't got one of these stones.

Mary said...

Where is that spaceship when you want it?

Brian Miller said...

ha i do not have one of those stones either...though i would not mind...smiles...fun take ont he prompt dave

Claudia said...

haha..no wonder they are confused...we do strange things..dont we..and think it's very normal..smiles

Isabel Doyle said...

What is it you have in your tea? Because what ever it is, it's powerful stuff and I want some too!

Thanks Mr King Isabel x


oh and the wv is pert sms (realy)

kaykuala said...

Great whimsical write, Dave! They see fun and games in what we have,I'm sure!

Hank

Cad said...

Ha! Beam me up, Scotty?!

stu mcp (hate & hope) said...

Really clever idea. Maybe your saying that humans have become alienated from themselves. We spend so long on our phones- the Internet that we've forgotten that we're part of the real world whatever that is! Nice!

Kass said...

Nice capture of the confused worship.

Maude Lynn said...

Mine should be here any minute now!

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

"Frustrating technology" a great idea, I myself feel an Erthling!

hedgewitch said...

This had me rolling, David. Oh so true, our holy stones, full of noise and colors but no damn spaceship! What is up with that? Great take.

Windsmoke. said...

My first thought after reading this was "Where is that spaceship when you want it?" but Mary beat me to it :-).

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Great words - true to the prompt - and funny with it!

Anna :o]

Dave King said...

Tom
Hi! Welcome. Thanks for the comment.

Jenny
Thanks for saying. - The first lines of Raine's poem are on the dVerse Poets page.

Manicddaily
Careful, ignore it for too long, it might fly off!

Semaphore
Hi, Good to have you visiting. Absolutely. Craige Raine wrote the original poem. This is a follow-up.

Laurie
Thanks.

barbara
Good thinking. I look out for one.

Cait
Rare indeed, but of such is the kingdom of leaven.

Mary
There'll be two along in a mo'!

Brian
Let you into a secret - I don't have one either!

Claudia
Mmmm, methinks our things get stranger all the while.

Isabel
I dunno, I can only think Doreen's putting it in without my knowledge. I didn't use to be like this!

Hank
Ah, to hear that gladdens my heart.

Cad
Careful now, that can go wrong, thou knows!

stu mcp
Hi, a warm welcome to you and thank you for your comment. Yes, I think you've got it about right.

Kass
Ah, well, I know confused worship when I see it!

Mama Zen
Ah, that little word, "should"! I've got my fingers crossed for you.

Tommaso
Ah, well, there's no escaping it, I fear!

hedgewitch
Thanks very much. Good to hear your thoughts on it.

Windsmoke
Ah, she does that, thou knows - she's done it to me before now!

HyperCRYPTICal
Thanks for both.