When the realms of imagination were lost from Fênix, a furtive storyteller and Sorry, who fell out of the sky with her Subaru, were left behind. An electrical dystopia is on the way, and she is taking him to a sanctuary. It turned out that there was more in the sky than anyone expected, and a light rain of dead people has just fallen. Details of the artwork, which is part of the Selfie Exhibition, are given below.
The visitors from Nocturnia, the land
beyond the light of life, milled about
on the road, despite the Subaru’s
impatient honking.
The scintillating brightness emitted by the living
is visible to the dead—I’d read that on the internet—
and the newcomers were drawn to Sorry.
They asked for photographs by her side,
she graciously accepted, and they handed me
their phones: a brand I wasn’t familiar with,
but they showed me where the button was.
~/~
Fascinating, don’t you think?
I moved on to Nocturnia when I was a very young.
I had no idea the luminiferous energy of life
would shine so brightly.
Marisol introduced herself and asked about me.
In my mind, I return to what can never change.
I sit at the bakelite table, sky blue woven;
flies are landing on my face with gentle caresses;
on the stove, bacon and eggs, tomatoes and smoke.
I don’t say I’m sorry, I never did.
Basalt winds on the listless shore,
always night and the excuses of the sun.
I kept her lost, waiting at the altar of my sacrifice.
A story of the raindrops until the sandstorm,
a story of goodbyes, until goodbye.
Marisol played with her phone. Is that the time?
My goodness, we have to get going.
Going where? I asked, and she stared at me.
I do apologize. My mistake.
I thought you were one of us.
~/~
The newcomers disappeared into the bushland
on their unknown quest, the sun
took to setting, and I asked Sorry
about this halfway place in the halfway light
between Fênix and Guarapuava,
about Nocturnia, and where did I belong?
It depends on your point of view.
The Subaru accelerated, a minor body part fell off,
and we journeyed onward to the Guarapuavan night.
to continue
about
Part one of the Fênix serial is here
Nocturnia, land of eternal darkness
artwork
Photo of Disintegrations of Icarus in the Selfie Exhibition at the tenfortyseven creative space in Sydney (detail above, click for full image). In the darkness, my reflection taking the photo is another selfie. About the work:
Steve has been aiming for the sun his whole life, and continuously failing to even come close. When he was a sick child, he wanted it under his pillow. Later, he tried to keep chunks of it in the laboratory with magnetically confined nuclear fusion experiments, and although he’s gone slightly troppo, he’s still searching for it. (Artwork made with VEE, his Visual Evolution Engine.)
“About the work” (aiming for the sun) is a work of art in itself…
Glad you liked that, Clarissa, thanks for noticing. I might have left out a few details, but it’s basically just a factual description of my life.
When I was writing scifi/fantasy short stories (which I haven’t done for a while) I soon discovered that it was a mistake to include anything real that had happened to me because the editors always complained that it was not believable.
Oh yes, and THEY know 😀 Always a treat to read your works (even if I don’t comment).
This is compulsive reading. I want to travel alongside the characters. The artwork is fantastic. Wish Sydney wasn’t so far away. I’d love to go to your exhibition. Thank you Steve for continuing to delight.
Thank you, Margaret, glad you like the artwork, and you’re very welcome. The exhibition went well, I gave an artist’s talk and was fortunate enough to connect with other artists who wish to collaborate … so some exciting possibilities.
Wow! Beautiful poetry and imagery….
I kept her lost, waiting at the altar of my sacrifice.
A story of the raindrops until the sandstorm,
a story of goodbyes, until goodbye.
Wow! Beautiful poetry and imagery!!
Thank you, Sobhana, and for singling out that particular verse, I was pleased with it. I wanted to make those verses like selfies themselves, the briefest summaries of a life.
The artwork looks faintly Japanese to me; I see leaves and mountains. “It all depends on your point of view.” Your stories are always so beautifully poignant and evocative, Steve. And original!
Thank you, BG. You’re not the only one to see a Japanese touch: I showed a video at a talk I gave at the gallery, and someone in the audience made the same comment. To be honest, I’m finding it difficult to keep up with vaguely new ideas these days, but I’m trying. Thank you again.
First, Sorry and her Subaru, and then a light rain of dead people… what other surprises will be coming from the sky? I chuckled at your reference to ‘a minor body part’, wondering if it belonged to the Subaru, the storyteller or Sorry.
In fantasy and sci-fi in general, the sky has a lot to answer for. With hindsight (since I am running so late with comments) there might be something else happening up there. Thank you, Margarisa.
The dead want selfies? What a concept.
I think that we live in an age of vanity, of shallowness, and have moved away from true calor humano to idealised false imagery. Everyone wants selfies.
haunting piece Steve, I have come back to it a number of times, in particular this segment:
“In my mind, I return to what can never change.
I sit at the bakelite table, sky blue woven;
flies are landing on my face with gentle caresses;
on the stove, bacon and eggs, tomatoes and smoke.
I don’t say I’m sorry, I never did”
A story within a story. Intriguing art too! You are a busy and talented man!
Hi Steve, Such a haunting and visual piece with multiple layers of meaning. I love it and the artwork is exceptional. Reminds me of a light damaged photograph from the good old days of film photography – the light seeping in at the edges. I like the tiny red dot in the middle of your reflection taking the photo. Slightly sinister….Is the artwork still for sale?
Hi Someone, glad you like it. The border effect took some work but I was happy with the final result.
The red light might look like it comes from the camera, but since I sold my soul to el diablo, I have tiny red lights in my eyes. 😸
The artwork didn’t sell at the exhibition and is still available. I can’t guarantee the reflection in the acrylic though. 😸
Thank you, Jim, and you’re 50% right about me. 😸 I’m glad that verse caught your attention. Nothing like a bit of reality, and it’s pretty much exactly that, from my early teens.
Funny how scenes stick in your memory, I’ve come to realise that many of them, for me at least, had an enigmatic aspect, something I didn’t understand at the time, but often I do now.
Last comment from Nikita Shackleton of The Purple Hermit blog. For some reason the site won’t let me log in today…
I should have read a bit further … thanks Nikita.