Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
Following is the Wakefield Doctrine’s contribution to ‘the Unicorn Challenge‘
A photo-prompt bloghop, hosted by jenne and ceayr, it has the simplest of rules: keep it at (or under) 250 words.
“No. I really shouldn’t.”
The body and the mind, (or, for a Reader of a gentler disposition, the Soul), are neither a partnership nor a symbiotic arrangement of earth and sky.
The mind and the body is a competition between athletes of two distinctly unlike sports that have been deceived, (tricked, if you insist, Gentle Reader), and always to the Death.
While the history of Man is scarred by games and teams, wars and nationalities, the one difference is always the external. Flags and uniforms. Religious expression and rational philosophies.
“I mean it. No matter how good it tastes.”
If the Creator had been truly Wise, (good intentions counted no more at the beginning of time than at the end), Choice, arguably, (and ironically), the one quality to distinguish Man from animal, would not have been included in the newest of realities. The urge to live and the desire for pleasure are the Divine and the Profane rolled into one delicious, portable meal.
“No!”
Two letters combined, which if simplicity were the true mark of God, would trump its fallen twin, ‘Yes’. No is surely the second-most powerful word in any language. And it remains so from the day it was not given precedence to today, when it is a horserace for all well-meaning humans.
“Yes, the heck with my diet! We only live once and today is Friday. Gimme the Family-sized!”
About clarkscottroger
Love this, Clark.
You lead the Gentle Reader (and me) down a meandering philosophical path, before bringing us crashing back to mundane reality with your punchline.
Salt and vinegar with that, sir?
thanks
I gotta thank you and jenne for establishing a place where one feels comfortable writing…creatively. While, and this is more rare in the blogosphere, where constructive criticism is available.
I often set out (with a new photo-prompt) with what, back in the early days of the Wakefield Doctrine blog, I referred to as: “Creating a problem and writing my way out of it”
Here, on Fridays, I’ll set words down that seem to make sense, but favoring the ‘Automatic Writing School of Fiction’ and then pause, push back from the keyboard and ask (myself) ‘Is ceayr gonna ‘get it’? It, of course, being the place I wrote myself into. By imagining an objective (no, not objectionable) Reader following along, then if necessary, I write myself out of whatever corner I might be in. Narratively speaking.
Win-fricken-Win
so ty, CE
YES! Every week I look forward to and am grateful for the space created by this challenge.
Would you like to supersize that? Hehe. Wonderful literary spin from a green bus on wheels.
Well, that was most enjoyable, Clark – as good and tasty as a fish supper* itself.
The scattering of attempts to resist temptation throughout the philosophical exposé, all leading to the final ‘No’, the wonderful last paragraph – and the ultimate ‘yes’, that proves the point you’ve been making – beautifully crafted and fun.
‘The urge to live and the desire for pleasure are the Divine and the Profane rolled into one delicious, portable meal.’ – never before has the attracting power of fish and chips been so clearly shown.
I can almost smell them.
*That’s what we call fish and chips in Glasgow.
TGIF, right?
yes ma’am
❤❤
Yes, Clark. This is good. Automatic writing or not, you’ve got it firmly under control from the word go – or should I say ‘no’?
Wonderful ideas in there to mull over. Body and mind, history and philosophy, man and animal, divine and profane, appetite and self-denial, fish and chips – all in there, and you didn’t exceed the word limit (Well, I didn’t count, but it looks right to me). Phew! I’m impressed.
that (automatic-writing free-association typing) has done more than anything else to avoid the pre-struggle with a story. Like the old saying, ‘Way easier to edit than it is to fill a blank page’
Such an odd endeavor, this writing thing…
Nice one!
thank you, Chris
All our loftiest desires boil down to saying yes to the finest things, like crispy, burning hot and battered cod and chips. I eat, therefore I cook, or I nip out to the food truck for God’s best! Entertaining write, Dude!
Thank you, Liz
As enjoyable as a portable meal. Nothing like a chippie tea*
*That’s what they call fish and chips in the north of England.
ty, K