A Siege of the Anthills

Tales of the Fairground : V

 

 

 

 

Professor Stanley A. Satre peered at the audience over his reading glasses. Standing on the small platform, he presented a picture of antiquity with his small grey beard and long-tailed coat. He cleared his throat with a fist. On a table nearby were some laboratory apparatus that appeared to be used for distillation.

 

' Imagine a man some centuries ago, staring into the blue skies to see an eagle soar.' He paused.

' Perhaps he wanted to fly himself. Such an impulse that arose in him, similar to what we discern about ourselves today, is the stuff we refer to in our pursuit of the dream. Where such an impulse is more than all else, it would enslave other notions and stymie our efforts at even living the plain life.'

 

He paused again and looked into the eyes of the audience. ' A small wish, you think? To be brushed aside? Put out of our attention? ... To be commanded into oblivion? ... I wish you away!' His voice rose to a pitch. " And ... and ... ' he said, wagging his index finger, ' Do we hide it even from ourselves?' His crisp voice glided through the air like a silk salmon in a mountain stream.

 

' It was not until man invented the airplane that we came to fulfill such a wish. Today it takes us places we want to go but more than that, it freed a wish that made slaves of all other impulses in us.'

 

The pictures on the green curtained walls in the room drew the vision of the audience to the many improvisations that made possible such a liberation. There was the plane, the scuba diver, a racing car, a rifle, a computer and a bottle of whiskey.

 

' The revolutionaries of the past 500 years brought democracy, socialism and similar ideas regarding man's reach ... for ... all things ... that make our lives, that fulfills our dreams, through time and time again ... for what we may want it to. We are our makers and its about time we took that seriously.' He got up from his seat and faced the audience.

 

' Look at us now. Our times have been filled with pageantry, heroism, sacrifice, honor, love and glory. It fills our memories and makes for a moment as we stand by the fireplace. The mere thought sometimes that 6 billion people in the world rally together, keep their place to themselves, in a cause to make possible a greater growth of what we are, is astounding. Yes, there is always a forest fire somewhere ... but lightning never struck twice in the same place. That says as much about our tragedies as it does our opportunities.'

 

' That was different ...' said Father in a sombre note as they left. ' It is a carnival,' replied mother as she cleared her throat with the back of her palm.

 

Reviews

[Leigh]

You have encapsulated a multitude of thoughts within such a short piece, my cogs are still whirring as I writer this. I myself have been struck by lightning, (a near miss) and I could feel the electricity in the fillings of my teeth

[Dayran]

You may need a ground connection but then again if you are having fun ....

[Leigh]

Luckily I was in a car, so that protected me, the whole ground lit up a surreal blue