Paula’s Comments (group member since Oct 28, 2015)

Paula’s comments from the Science Fiction Microstory Contest group.

To you, too--everyone. Stay safe, sane, and cool, folks.

Congrats, Tom!

Jot wrote: "That's weird, I posted the congrats thread, but it's not showing now."

Indeed. It is showing on my computer now (11:31am PDT).

Writing the same sort/genre and length of story each month for the same several readers can be difficult if one is busy--yet also can cause a temporary burn-out, so probably no major concern, Justin. You'll write a story next month, and/or the next month, etc.; meanwhile, get out to a park or the pool or a drive or some hiking with the kids in the woods maybe--?!

Sorry--I'll try to get my vote in to you tonight, Jot.

Thank you, Tom. Much appreciated.

Why weepest thou?
Copyright 2024 by Paula Friedman

For what strange fruit? What strange fruit—of the vine? Of the lips? Be these love? Be truths?

So asks the Sage, turns next to the beloved. “Y thou? Tel'st. A mi. Beloved, vien a mi. So become we one.”

This is the song of another continent, a more ancient, distanced Earth. Here were home comforts yet also the peace that passeth understanding—in the twilit meadow, beneath the great oaks, in the high-spreading boughs of thin firs, in the pines, in the pines. High dry air of sere Sierra, boulders where we climbed—and questioned, “Why weepest thou?”

Questioning, always questioning.

“Such questions as yours (‘as ours’) have no answers; rather, they contain their answers,” spokest she, the Sage. “Knewest thou not?”

I bowed my head, Yes. Yes, I know. For these years of a lifetime, early since young I have known—truths that be found, be contingent, experienced, learned, can each be uncertain, be found as untrue upon this world or that—those truths we may speak of as facts, real and unreal, the counted uncounted, impossible, possibles, all your evidentiary hypotheses.

“True/false, yes!” So I exclaimed, and leaned along beside the footsteps of the one we call the Sage. “Yet Necessary Truths—as of, if not quite ‘God is good,’ yet ‘God is God’ (though not perhaps ‘God Is’), must be (or is it ‘What must be, must be?’) may never be false, for come of no experience but solely of the language, logic, mathematics which embeds them.”

Thus, can there be—dared I ask her? For her eyes, dark, darker than the night undending of the Black-Stars Arc twinning the Arc of the Corteiisi, pierced into my own, and shivered me—mi amo, mi!—lost love, rays piercing me!—Dared I ask her, Sage of our worlds, our words, our wells of depths upon derelict worlds—“May there be, somehow, truth that is necessity (as if built of logic, or as if of fact unshakeable) constructed on or off or deep in seas unbounded of . . . our Earth, our twin, our Universe dissolvent or evolvent), Truth that comes of knowledge founded in, and yet without, Word, Wisdom, World, or Being?”

“Yet--?” She, Sage, starting to smile, responded, prompting me. “And yet--? No. Child, cry ‘No!’ Or do you weep?”

I tried, lying along the green-gold grass beside her, to smile in true return, to laugh with her. Yet could not, in the horror. The horror of it—of this unformed, of this new complete un-word-able. This. This Being/Unbeing non/universe. HER concept--her vision, her substance, perhaps--and not mine.

“Why weepest thou?” The Sage, the Lady whispered. She squeezed my hands, commingled our tears. “Look in my eyes. Look through all eyes. Think in all words--yet none. Beloved, no more weepest thou.”

Yet we could not, together a moment and ever apart, in any single instant set in time (for we are two, one is not two) behold this same, think as this same, become this same and singular knowledge, inseparated love.

A good Father's Day, good Juneteenth, and good Writing Days to each of you!
I've put a piece up. Not entirely sure it's science fiction, though;

Oh yes! Cool theme, Tom.

Justin wrote: "Thank you Paula!! I really appreciate it!! :)"

Very welcome. I hope you'll do some more of this (voice/rhythm/flow in the character/building) sort! I love the tale.

Congratulations, Tom. Lovely imagery in your story!

A great Memorial Day to you too, Justin.
You do this sort of voice/tone/rhythm writing so very well! ---Paula



Best to you all!

Justin"

Greg, I really think you should also send this story out to some big-name and/or well-paying science fiction journals/venues. It is very well written and with enormous readership appeal. (I think if you make some even very minor changes--not sure how minor can still suffice, though--then it becomes not an "already published story".)

Jack wrote: "thanks you all! Sorry I couldn't get anything done for a story. Got busy with the baby and work."

Well, of course! Super-congratulations on the grandbaby!

Congratulations, Greg. Excellent and moving story.

Jack wrote: "Sorry, my daughter just had a baby - first grandchild - and I am swamped. So, I am doubtful"

OH marvelous! Congratulations, Jack! Glad for you and for the whole family!

Jot wrote: "Got it see it. Niagara Falls area was overcast the day of the eclipse, so we woke up early and drove to Burlington Vermont where Kelly's cousin lives, directly under the center of totality. Weather..."

So glad you got to see it, Jot! I was able to catch the 2017 total solar eclipse--northern edge of the zone of totality was about an hour's drive from here. As totality arrives--and during--is an amazing, unique experience no matter how much one has read or seen images in advance.
I hope you are well again now, or soon!

Oh wow--enjoy the trip, Jot!

Oh such a visually appealing ending, Tom (and that's all I can say of it without giving it away); it reminds me of the unforgettable "classic" imagery of one of the first sf stories I read. Well shaped story!

lol funny tale, Jeremy--loved it