30 July 2024

Deflated. Burst. Anointed.

He possessed a hacking cough. The kind of cough which cuts one off at the middle. Empties one's chest through the mouth and nose in gales which starve one's brain of oxygen until the head lights up like an open refrigerator.

Strings of phlegm hanging in ropes like green nets off the side of a boat.

A barking cough, on the other hand, while by no means less startling to those in the pink, lends something of an imposing character to the invalid. A suggestion of stately decrepitude which elevates the offender above the pitiful. A booming sovereignty to cow disapproving stares, or worse, wanton sneers of disgust.

This, sadly, was not the case.

His particular condition, then, reduced him to the level of the untouchable. The sneaking pariah stopped in its tracks by bout after bout of cacophonous disability. A ringing of ears. A wringing of hands.

Mouths falling open. Aghast. Enraged.

Hither and thither he slunk, mortified, waiting to be casually beaten to death. Or arrested, at the very least. And beaten to a pulp he no doubt would have been, were it not for the very real potential for contagion. Infection leaping from host to host as a leprous spore.

And at his toilet he simply cowered, smote with the stench of latrines. Pricked like a balloon on the precipice.

3 comments:

  1. Read more @ Ib Sibling

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  2. Sepultura kicks ass!! Very eclectic seeing it featured along Cocteau Twins and Stiff Little Fingers or Tortoise.
    A veritable Noah's Ark.
    Guess many have been too lazy to go through the process of checking this.
    Diego

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    Replies
    1. For some reason, on the 1st of July, when I explained what my plans were for the month, I got a takedown notice from the Blogger Police. I quickly deleted the original post, posted up "That Didn't Take Long" & "Back to the Drawing Board". I then had to quickly figure a way to go stealth. Not everyone has got on board, even though I've been as obvious as I deemed wise. Well, this is the next to last installment & then all the lost offerings will be restored. It was just something I wanted to do for a dear friend. More of similar shenanigans next month.

      Thanks brother for taking the time to dig out the gems buried here.

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