Black Smoke Becomes Soot

essaysbysean.blogspot.com

(Any relation to this month’s “theme” of “sound” is purely coincidental)

Hello Reader, 

Got spooky silence?

If October is my favorite month, then it’s partly because of Hallowe’en—which was properly spelled with at apostrophe between the e’s in my youth—short for All Hallowed Eve, a time for creatures of the night. This was only fair, for soon the cock-a-doodle-doo would crow for All Saints Day, a new pure day without any ungodly creatures allowed… And, according to my computer spell check, it is STILL spelled that way—so there! 

If, for walking after dark, October is my favorite month then it’s because I grew up without streetlights, passing cold twisted trees and warm golden windows.

The malevolent Martians would use their Heat Rays to remove humans retail, and their Black Smoke to remove humans wholesale, in bulk. You may recall an earlier post where a very young man escaped the Black Smoke, as it was heavier than air, by staying in a church steeple for three days. By then the Smoke had vanished, leaving a coating of soot everywhere. This poem is from an older thoughtful man, probably making his way to the high ground of Primrose Hill. 

Poem

After Poison Black Smoke Becomes Soot

Our ancestors avoided the fearsome dark,

preferring to huddle warm in the campfire light.

At night I walk past lightless houses with windows vacant,

walking with silent steps on rubber soles.

Soot covers houses and sidewalks and bodies.

Our ancestors thought ghosts would hate the living.

Not here.

These sooty silent streets hold no ghosts,

only a dreadful vacancy.

Once there were bright loud streets of cheery people.

Not now.

No lights, no noise, only the sound of empty wind.

Sean Crawford

Evening of Hallowe’en

The anniversary of The War of the Worlds Orson Wells radio broadcast,

Which ends with a reference: That light? It’s just a pumpkin

town of Okotokes

2019

Sad Footnote: The BBC three-part mini-series, according to many blog commenters, is bad: Bad script, bad lines, bad acting. Such are the comments. At least there is still a new Anglo-French TV series coming within a year.