This story is loosely based on the brief “Czech Crime” tale within Part 2 of The Stranger by Albert Camus. While the story is not unique, the the tale is now refined and laid more bare… In the picturesque village of Český Sněžný in Czechoslovakia, nestled amidst rolling hills and pristine landscapes, a young man […]
Poems
The Hangman
He helped the wretch rise to his feetWhen thrice had stumbled he;With a gentle pull on tattered rags,The bondsman made no plea. “Come now, poor soul; I’ll try to lead…”He whispered, almost cried—Yet cloudy orbs of muted thanksWas the wretch’s sole reply. I watched this scene from noisy crowd.The contrast was quite stark:Youth and age […]
Dear Hubris
Saint Paul knew us best when he called us Children.We are much worse than that, however;We are fools. We praise and erect to the highest courts in our land princes and kings of fools.We deign to call these men our leaders simply because they are the most debased and vile;The more senile they become, the […]
Babylon, 2023
Work hard for your money, thieves steal half it away.Sell plants on the street, in a cage you will pay.Pick up a gun for your country for noble wars they begin;They say if you kill for thieves then murder’s no longer a sin. Try to save cash, and its value will fade.Brigands steal from you […]
Truth?
“Who are you?”Said Pooh to me.“I’m me,” said me to Pooh“Well, who is Pooh if you are ‘Me’?Who’s the one true Pooh?” “You’re Pooh!” said I“That’s true” laughed Pooh,“But what is true?” asked he. “What is true…?” mused Pooh. “The sky is blue” said me.“Yes, it’s blue” grinned Pooh“It’s true; I see, I see.” “I […]
Ode to the People’s Spud
A “potato’s potato” the others would call him Not exactly rotund, but … nor was he slim. A stud for the ages, a chap— A warm face to slap on And gee golly we’ll miss him now that he’s gone! A head so divine: quite bulbous it was And smooth! Not even the wisp of […]
Man is Wretched
The first ape to use a tool — a stick or bone, perhaps — used it, no doubt, to kill or maim his fellow ape. We are no more civilized today than he. The history lesson to be learned from the rise of Hitler is not that he was sublimely evil in a way no […]
2022
By Sean Dempsey As the world has changed it has become more authentic.The niceties that once glued society together have been stripped away.As fear has taken over, so to has mankind’s natural distrust and hate for others. Differences that once were superficial have become meaningful;Divisions that once could be easily bridged, are now insurmountable.Authentic man […]
There be Monsters Before the Altar
Sean Dempsey, 12/24/21 Some monsters would destroy the paths walked before them, content to trail-blaze new ones that are somehow better—even if they lead off cliffs in the dark. Some monsters would have you give up all you have, all your plans, all your dreams for yourself and your family, because they feel such ignoble […]
Beautiful Theories
Every crisis becomes a religion. It’s inevitable. Especially if it lasts long enough. One factor in that transformation is the “Beautiful Theory” phenomenon. This is the phenomenon where those who sell news team up with those who seek to lead others and insist some remedy is urgently needed and politically correct — so it MUST […]