I gotta say, Roy… we can all do what we’ve gotta do.. but it’s a shame. This may be the best piece of writing I’ve seen all year. Smiling is important but so is art! I challenge you to come back another day when you’ve got the bandwidth!
another day, another time. yes. right now, things are getting tight/er. that hole in the needle for the rich to try to pass through is getting smaller. who knows, it might change ...
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Roy. It does deal with a dark subject. I believe, though, that there is an underlying hope, light in the darkness; that was certainly my intention. Peace be with you.
This took me to Chernobyl so early, and I wanted it to be, and not be, that all the way through. And then I’m taken back to the 40th anniversary of the end of WWII and all the horrifying programmes they shared here in the UK on nuclear war, and nuclear accidents and anything to do with the horrors of nuclear energy. I was transfixed, terrified and repulsed at not quite fourteen years old.
And this is the kind of writing such an event deserves. It is phenomenal.
Oh holy wow. This is fantastic, harrowing and sad. I got the feeling it was radiation tearing us from the inside out. The ending is a chefs kiss, loved it. Descriptions to die for, literally
I was 5 years old when Chernobyl happened so don't remember it too well, but from our primary school class of 12 pupils, one boy died of leukaemia aged about 11 and one, a girl who lived across the road from me, died of ovarian cancer aged about 20. Which didn't necessarily have anything to do with Chernobyl, of course; it just made me wonder sometimes.
i was 16 and was about to travel to kiev for a 6 week trip across europe with a bunch of teenagers in a coach from colleges all over the country. And then Chernobyl happened. so instead we detoured through romania and bulgaria and hungary and turkey and greece - and that was quite something to experience indeed.
I appreciated the fact that I had to reread this to understand what was going on. The uncertainty, the fluctuating and unraveling of the language perfectly suited its subject matter. Such interesting turns of phrase. My favorite was “the light of atoms skinned.”
Disturbing, yet done in a rather calming way through the poetic writing. I got a sense of looseness of the components of the human body from this piece. Unsettling but there’s a runny flow to it.
I was so caught up in the dark beauty of the prose I’ll have to go back a read again to catch the things I missed. It was a haunting experience reading this one.
Thanks. Excellent writing. But no thanks. Too much to absorb, and to try to keep smiling.
I gotta say, Roy… we can all do what we’ve gotta do.. but it’s a shame. This may be the best piece of writing I’ve seen all year. Smiling is important but so is art! I challenge you to come back another day when you’ve got the bandwidth!
another day, another time. yes. right now, things are getting tight/er. that hole in the needle for the rich to try to pass through is getting smaller. who knows, it might change ...
I completely understand. These are dark days. Come back on a sunnier day, Roy, it really is worth the effort!
Thanks for reading, Roy!
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Roy. It does deal with a dark subject. I believe, though, that there is an underlying hope, light in the darkness; that was certainly my intention. Peace be with you.
Ahhh. Chernobyl. That was tragic. I enjoyed unraveling this as I read.
Isn’t this a brilliant puzzle? Glad you got it, Sheri!
Thank you Sheri!
This took me to Chernobyl so early, and I wanted it to be, and not be, that all the way through. And then I’m taken back to the 40th anniversary of the end of WWII and all the horrifying programmes they shared here in the UK on nuclear war, and nuclear accidents and anything to do with the horrors of nuclear energy. I was transfixed, terrified and repulsed at not quite fourteen years old.
And this is the kind of writing such an event deserves. It is phenomenal.
Thank you Zivah! So glad it resonated with you.
Oh holy wow. This is fantastic, harrowing and sad. I got the feeling it was radiation tearing us from the inside out. The ending is a chefs kiss, loved it. Descriptions to die for, literally
Right, EMR… this piece punched me the deep gut of my soul.
Thank you so much!!
Absolutely awesome writing, awestruck! Equally inspiring art to accompany the essay.🙏
Thank you so much Mark!! And yes the artwork on all the pieces is beautiful
Thank you once again for the opportunity to read your awesome writing.
beautiful beautiful lyrical historical physical scientifical magical and ... inhale.
Thanks Nick!
and i forgot - skin peelingly uncomfortable - a time I recall very well indeed.
I was 5 years old when Chernobyl happened so don't remember it too well, but from our primary school class of 12 pupils, one boy died of leukaemia aged about 11 and one, a girl who lived across the road from me, died of ovarian cancer aged about 20. Which didn't necessarily have anything to do with Chernobyl, of course; it just made me wonder sometimes.
i was 16 and was about to travel to kiev for a 6 week trip across europe with a bunch of teenagers in a coach from colleges all over the country. And then Chernobyl happened. so instead we detoured through romania and bulgaria and hungary and turkey and greece - and that was quite something to experience indeed.
and those statistics are not great are they
This gives me shivers every time i read it. The prose is just delicious and full of pain at the same time.
Thank you Jon!!
I appreciated the fact that I had to reread this to understand what was going on. The uncertainty, the fluctuating and unraveling of the language perfectly suited its subject matter. Such interesting turns of phrase. My favorite was “the light of atoms skinned.”
Thank you!!
Disturbing, yet done in a rather calming way through the poetic writing. I got a sense of looseness of the components of the human body from this piece. Unsettling but there’s a runny flow to it.
Thank you Trevor!!
This is something special. Heavy and beautifully written. The image perfectly complements the piece.
Thank you Rosie!!
I love this story. Had to reread it before fully understanding the connection. Your fantastic prose was both tragic and beautiful. Thank you.
Thanks Troy! Glad you took the time to reread it! ☺️
this is exciting and refreshing. "can’t-put-your-fingerable" is one of my favorite things I've read this week
Thank you so much! 😊
Excellent story. I've written a review of it here: https://portension.substack.com/p/the-nuclear-option
Thank you Jay, and thank you for the lovely review! 😊
WOW!
I was so caught up in the dark beauty of the prose I’ll have to go back a read again to catch the things I missed. It was a haunting experience reading this one.
Fantastic
Thanks Keith!!