On the roof of the Dreamwalk Library, a Dark Solarian is draining Librarian Millie’s life force, and a fearsome kilowasp cloud (to the nearest power of ten) is descending. The library employee plans to offer his own life force, if he has any, to save Millie, and no-one cares what the penguins are doing.
In my penultimate moments,
I decided I’d reveal my inner life.
You make me nervous, Millie,
you’re not as librarian as you appear.
You’ve taken me so far from science,
my mind is burning in a consequential fire,
and I’d like a coffee.
Fantasies and caffeine, all a-tangle
in your heroic hair. For now,
please keep the penguins company.
Millie’s life force was a showering of refractive light,
dewdrops on a shattered windscreen,
a glister, a precipitate in the air.
She addressed the Dark Solarian.
Poor parasite you are,
always seeking life you can’t possess.
What you steal will leave you
after nightfall, lost in the lunar realm.
You’ve drained enough of me,
it’s time to go.
But the creature came even closer,
and the flux of Millie’s fluid light intensified.
~/~
She waited for a time, then threw her arms
around the Dark Solarian.
Let’s consummate our parasite-host relationship.
A solar flare of Millie’s animatric energy
enveloped the sorry creature.
It tried to pull away, to disconnect,
but it was several lines too late.
~/~
physics, Sheridarp-style
Matter and antimatter,
in their uncomfortable alliance,
mostly text each other;
minds and anti-minds, over and beneath,
may never touch;
and parasitic anti-dreams
may never meld with the other kind.
Millie’s being, her dream of luminiferous living,
had no time for dreary dead-end parasites.
As she held it, its anti-thoughts were annihilated:
the Dark Solarian imploded in blossoming ultraviolets.
I fumbled in my pockets for my dime store sunnies,
but only found a sparrow.
~/~
When the after images had faded and I could see again,
I saw Millie, slightly flushed.
She’d drawn the energy back to herself,
and the parasite Solarian was a pile of dust,
or else the rooftop needed sweeping.
I work for her, I told the nearest penguin,
who was wearing welding goggles.
They auto-darkened
when Millie raised her arms
and sent a fireball of energy
(superfluous to requirements)
shooting upward.
It burnt the kilo-cloud of wasps
to showering cinders,
the remnants of a thousand insects
that were surely guilty of something.
to continue
about
The penguins wear welding goggles to be sure they see world as it truly is.
artwork
is luminiferous a word? (detail above), entirely from 10 minutes of my EEG via VEE, the visual evolution engine, and TIM, the illustrated mind software.
Yes, they will surely be guilty of something, Steve. So are we all.
A very dynamic episode in the ultimate destruction of all parasitic solarians (amen).
LikeLiked by 3 people
I am the last person to argue about guilt, Frank, believe me. Glad you enjoyed, and here’s hoping parasitic Solarians have visa restrictions in future.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, almost everyone else has been restricted …
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: paperback rider B: sheridarp style — inconstant light | Fantasy Gift Sources: Book Reviews, Article Resources, News
Thank you for sharing, Fantasy Gift Sources.
LikeLike
Luminiferous is now a word…and a great word at that. Another excellent piece!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, I agree “luminiferous” has a nice ring to it. It originally came to my attention in physics: the outdated belief that the luminiferous ether penetrates everywhere and fills the universe. It’s a pity we scrapped the ether actually. 🙂
LikeLike
“always seeking life you can’t possess”…Millie the philosopher 🙂 Pretty intense piece, really enjoyed reading it, Steve.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah well, I suspect Millie might have got that one right, and perhaps a bit of introspection there. 🐒 Thank you, Sobhana.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So take that… – I so liked: ‘you’re not as librarian as you appear’ – and matter and anti- reduced to texting each other – is clever as (what else do we have between us but language?) Where to now? Can’t wait.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Peter, and for mentioning those thoughts, I was happy with them. I have no idea what’s next, I’d like to wind The Rider up, at least for now. A bloopers reel perhaps? Haha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love the opening. Deciding to reveal one’s inner life is not to be taken lightly; Millie’s not the only courageous one it seems. “Her dream of luminiferous living.” But there’s always the dark side, eh? We’re all a mash-up of Millies and Dark Solarians. Your graphic reminds me of patchwork. I’d love a quilt in those hues. Springtime colors. Lovely!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, BG, and yes, you’ve hit two nails on the head, I’d say. 🙂 Facing up to our less-than-glowing bits is important, and I think even writing helps.
Glad you enjoyed the artwork: still very much a work in progress, and the programming for the EEG is taking a lot of my time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Millie is much more courageous and powerful than I thought! I shuddered at this statement: “Let’s consummate our parasite-host relationship.” Reminds me too much of the Alien movies. With fireballs of energy at her disposal, no wonder she isn’t frightened of kilo-clouds of wasps.
Perhaps the protagonist will finally get a coffee next time? 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, I think I can pretty much guarantee nothing is going to pop out of anyone’s stomach at breakfast. 😸
With Australian summer coming up, maybe Millie would be handy to have around at barbecues: not just lighting up the grill, she could deal with the mosquitoes. I’m also hoping the protagonist gets a coffee, even paid employment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is not where I thought the story was going! Love the penguins, haha
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks and me too, I only need half an excuse to put them in anywhere. 🐧🐧🐧
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love a happy ending and “not as librarian as you appear”.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Paul. Happy endings: what is fantasy for if not that? I was happy with that line, I’m fond of ignoring English rules.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful ! Humorous as ever Steve. I love the pastel shades of the picture as well. These poems of yours are very mysterious in their inventiveness. That all these adventures should be happening to a librarian of all people is very amusing. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure, and thank you, Margaret. I apologise that I’m a bit scrambled with comments at present. (Actually I’m always scrambled. 🙂) I do like writing about libraries, and so librarians as well. Glad you enjoyed the image, pastel brainwaves, haha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No apologies needed Steve. I’m delighted that you read so much of my stuff.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Adore your details including the auto-darkened welding goggles!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Clarissa. I’m very familiar with those goggles because I wore them every day when I worked in a welding laboratory. Admittedly there weren’t a lot of penguins around.
LikeLiked by 1 person
❤️❤️❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙏
LikeLiked by 1 person
Millie Millie, I did not know she had it in her. Imagine a hot liaison between all those shelves of books. Way to go Millie
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, it would definitely be a fire risk inside the library, and probably against library rules. 😸
LikeLike
a very interesting symbiotic relationship, where the host and parasite text each other, where usually communication is a one way thing. is the Dark Solarian the new meterosexual male in disuise? ironically i wrote an article on symbiotic relationships just the other day inspired by the movie Venom, my editor says it is perfect for couples counselling. i thought i was writing a scientific piece.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I see what you mean. Interesting such parallels, benefits and costs in relationships. In fantasy and science fiction it is often easy to see which is which: light and dark. It’s rarely that simple with people, even to know where the true light is. The Dark Solarian was apparently taking something of no use to him. I guess that’s more like people, since it wouldn’t happen in nature. Your article sounds great, is it online?
LikeLike
Wow,so much action here…………really not a librarian as she appears
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just discovered that a number of comments went to my spam folder, WP was a bit overactive for some reason. Thanks. In my experience, you never know about librarians… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol,nop💁🏻♀️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Joyous lumiference!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, glad you liked, probably the burning wasps.
LikeLike