27 Comments

Topsy-turvy, inside-out, victim is perpetrator. Really nice, Victor. Thanks for the "Soaring Twenties" turn on.

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Glad you like it, James. Topsy turvy indeed! And yes, check out the Soaring Twenties. A nice collective, I've been enjoying being a part of them.

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Quality, especially the ending.

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Thanks DB. The reaction to this one is a little surprising. Gotta admit I was wondering....but went there anyway. All the best!

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Deep, dark and disturbing. I mean that as a compliment. This is a gritty, thought-provoking piece. Thank you for sharing, Victor.

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Thank you Jim for reading and taking the time to comment. Yes, it's disturbing, sometimes like real life these days. Probably something lighter next time. Glad you liked it friend!

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Victor, I read this when it came out with Soaring Twenties.

"Never a letter, but he had to clean out the junk every damn day. "

I love this line, it lets us know a couple things at once: that this person is lonely and that they are perhaps stuck in the past.

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Clancy, thanks for checking it out again. I know there's overlap between ST and here. And seems like you nailed it with your interpretation, that's a good one. Thanks again!

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And at risk of feeling ignorant, I have to now point out after reading again that that line conveys a third thing which I think is that not only are they stuck in the past, but disappointed and annoyed with the present in a way that goes beyond loneliness.

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No worries about ignorance that's for sure. My hope is that people see / interpret / imagine in ways of their own. I think your take on it agrees with mine, but I also realize that others might see if differently. And many thanks for the shoutout on Notes, Clancy!

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"Inside the TV told him to hate most everything and he said yes." Jesus, Victor! That old television will drive us all insane with its fear-mongering, or at least hurry insanity along. So glad I got rid of my TV -- three years ago and have never missed it. This is brilliant writing. I am glad I found you. I have subscribed and now I need a couple of weeks to catch up.

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Thank you Sharron, for the lovely comment, and for subscribing. Really appreciate it. As you can see from my pic, I am what they call an elder (although I don't really feel it). Anyway, my point is that my TV went in the trash about 1975 and I haven't had once since. I like movies, but most of the stuff on TV doesn't do anything for me. Thanks again!

Edit: Your email came in and I'll answer that separately!!

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An Elder. That sounds so much wiser than 'elderly', doesn't it? As you can see by MY photo, I have become a leaf. I am as old as dirt, myself. 1975. I remember it well...

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Your leaf looks very autumn fresh Sharron!

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Was there a reason why you didn't use quotation marks? I'm always curious about why writers do or don't use such things.

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I find quotation marks to be unnecessary roadblocks that tend to slow me down. They also encourage skimming. However, sometimes I do use them; mostly not, I suppose, but it depends on the aesthetic I'd like to convey. Thanks much for reading and your question, Joseph.

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I only asked because I also write, and I'd lose my dialogue without those quotation marks. I don't use them for thoughts or mental communication, but for speech, they are essential, at least to me.

I had to constantly figure out where you wanted to start a quote and where you wanted it to end.

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I hope you have many" favorites". Are you as surprised as I am when certain words or phrases including newly invented/re-gigged ones just pop out of you? I am surprised by some of my 're-inventions'. Sneak preview of my coming story: "All words are borrowed", as pronounced by my beloved and magical writing teacher, Andy Couturier of Writing The Opening. Thanks for the caring nudge to present my first story. I continue to recover from Covid which mainly means I am re-prioritizing activities. Until next time.

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Kid did good!

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Yeah, he did, you're right. Thanks much for reading and commenting Andrew!

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Nice gut punch, Victor, and well-told. Your few words capture entire generations and demographics. If only a world of lonely white guys with persecution complexes eagerly consuming a steady diet of hate were fiction. As ever, thank you for your stories, and for sharing them with this other world.

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If only. Unfortunately, I read the news sometimes and catch stuff like this happening, sometimes with a different outcome. Next time it's back to rainbows. Well, maybe... Thanks so much for reading and writing here, Mike.

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WOW

Wonderment found here

Organicity gifts

World looks differently

I wrote this some time ago inspired by your writing. Maybe I shared it already or maybe I was too shy ... a world full of shyness.

Loved the melodic refrain: "A world of ..."

Enjoyed so many pieces and the whole.

This will reverberate inside me for a while: “They even drained the blood of language so that words no longer took sides.:

ps. I am with your Compadres, below. Thanks for sharing your gift.

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Elva, you are the only person to call out that particular sentence (the blood of language) which happens to be my favorite. I guess I can have a favorite, right? Wow, synchronicity, glad that's reverbing for you.

I really appreciate your reading and commenting. I hope you've recovered well and are getting back up to speed after the covid you mentioned.

Keep on writing and get your stack going too when you're ready.

A thousand thanks and all the best!

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Me parece una descripción de algunos vecinos que desafortunadamente me he topado en mi vida. Me gustó mucho, gracias.

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Ojalá que no estes topando algunos asi hoy en dia. Me parece que no. Gracias Mónica para leerlo y tu commentario!

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Jun 6, 2023
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Well, I'm speculating here of course, but it's something like that I imagine. And I do indeed love me a good "holy crap", wow, thanks so much for your comment Mitchell.

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