Friday, July 22, 2022

the case of the empty room



by genghis gilgamesh




leonardo woke up.

he went to the door and looked out.

the sun was shining.

no birds were singing.

leonardo had never seen a bird or heard a bird sing but he knew that they were not singing, because he had read about birds.

he went back inside and picked up the book he had been reading.

the book was "ecstasy and quietude" by pope urban viii

in the book selim, crown prince of the kingdom of a____, had been painting a picture when he was interrupted by his chamberlain, valentine.

not bad, eh,? selim nodded to the picture he had been painting when valentine entered the studio.

the studio was located in the turret of the prince's castle and was flooded with bright northern light.

valentine bowed. your highness, i have a message from your father the king. you are to take immediate command of the royal army and conduct the defense of the capital against the oncoming barbarians.

i? selim put his brush down. but it has always been understood that my brother should command the army, while i devote myself to preparing to ascend the throne.

be that as it may, your highness, his majesty was most explicit in his desire.

how odd. i am afraid i don't know anything about military matters. do you? the prince studied his painting and picked up his brush and added a few strokes to it. perhaps you can help me out.

i am afraid not, your highness i have always been in the household service. the chamberlain paused. perhaps general barbar could offer you some advice,

an excellent idea. thank you, valentine, you have been very helpful as always. please have the general notified that i would like to confer with him.

very good, sir. valentine bowed and departed.

the prince resumed work on his picture.

what is the use of a book without pictures?

the picture the prince was painting was deficient in execution but ambitious in concept. the left side of the wide canvas depicted the wreck of the argonaut, the right the fall of troy and the center mixed the two stories by showing the survivors of the shipwreck landing on the shores of troy and hastening toward it, while the inhabitants of troy fled past them to the shore.

concept, said the prince aloud. that is my favorite word. for where should we be without concept?

he added a touch of red to pythagoras's's nose in the lower left portion of the picture. the philosopher was clinging to a floating table from the dining room of the doomed ship. a book lay open on the table, pinned to it by the carcass of a persian cat.

the left page of the open book was legible and the title above the text read "the case of the empty room".



Thursday, August 12, 2021

road to nowhere, part 13


for part twelve, click here

to begin at the beginning, click here or here





arctodus simus
arctodus simus
arctodus simus

cross the river
cross the river
cross the river

america is the oldest continent
and the last to be inhabited
by humans

the biggest cats
the grizzliest bears
the wooliest mammoths

the biggest cats
the biggest cats
the biggest cats

the grizzliest bears
the grizzliest bears
the grizzliest bears

the wooliest mammoths
the wooliest mammoths
the wooliest mammoths

no place
for the faint of heart
for the faint of heart

the howilngest wolves
the howlingest wolves
the howlingest wolves

the yellowest dogs
the yellowest dogs
the yellowest dogs

the hungriest coyotes
the hungriest coyotes
the hungriest coyotes

the iciest floes
the iciest floes
the iciest floes

jeremiah johnson
jeremiah johnson
jeremiah johnson

jack slade
jack slade
jack slade

jack mule
jack mule
jack mule

chac mool
chac mool
chac mool

moctezuma
moctezuma
shining in the sun

cortés
pizarro
hernando de soto

cabeza de vaca
cabeza de vaca
cabeza de vaca

down the mighty mississippi
to the town of new orleans
waiting for the robert e lee

george armstrong custer
george armstrong custer
waiting for the robert e lee

henry ford
henry ford
henry ford

pancho villa
pancho villa
pancho villa

ambrose bierce
ambrose bierce
ambrose bierce

jack london
jack london
jack london

william jennings bryan
william jennings bryan
william jennings bryan

aimee semple mcpherspn
aimee semple mcpherson
aimee semple mcpherson

jim jones
jim jones
jim jones

j robert oppenheimer
j robert oppenheimer
j robert oppenheimer

destroyer of worlds
destroyer of worlds
destroyer of worlds

with these words my children i leave you

we have to do what dad says

kids these days don’t know anything about history
they think the world began with them

you were talking to billy johnson
instead of paying attention
you must know the answer

waiting for the robert e lee


the end



Tuesday, August 10, 2021

road to nowhere, part 12


for part eleven, click here

to begin at the beginning, click here or here





walter winchell
walter winchell
walter winchell

ed sullivan
ed sullivan
ed sullivan

joe mccarthy
joe mccarthy
joe mccarthy

j robert oppenheimer
j robert oppenheimer
j robert oppenheimer

j edgar hoover
j edgar hoover
j edgar hoover

lucky luciano
lucky luciano
lucky luciano

dale carnegie
dale carnegie
dale carnegie

elvis presley
elvis presley
james dean

al capone
al capone
al capone

john dillimger
john dillinger
john dillinger

the lady in red

pretty boy floyd
pretty boy floyd
baby face nelson

muncie indiana
abilene kansas
wichita falls texas

abilene texas
lubbock texas
allbuquerque new mexico

gallup new mexico
yuma arizona
death valley

hollywood boulevard
hollywood boulevard
hollywood boulevard

bette davis
bette davis
bette davis

joan crawford
joan crawford
joan crawford

gloria swanson
gloria swanson
gloria swanson

buggsy siegel
buggsy siegel
buggsy siegel

frank sinatra
frank sinatra
frank sinatra

alfred anastasia
alfred anastasia
alfred anastasia

sleepy hollow
sleepy hollow
sleepy hollow

sonny and cher
sonny and cher
sonny and cher

pochntas
pocahntas
pocahntas

captain john smith
captain john smith
captain john smith

ponce de leon
ponce de leon
ponce de leon

cabeza de vaca
cabeza de vaca
cabeza de vaca

jack slade
jack slade
billy the kid

moctezuma
moctezuma
moctezuma

chac mool
chac mool
chac mool

i left my heart in san francisco
san francisco
san francisco

clown alley
clown alley
doggie diner

i got my kicks on route 66
route 66
route 66


part 13