Happy New Year

For the first post of the year 2025, I would like to share the piece I read at our December open mike meeting of the Spokane Authors.

Writing prompt: Revenge of the Literary Legends

The instructions were, “Write a parody or pastiche in the voice of one of your favorite deceased authors observing a facet of modern life that drives you absolutely mad.”

I have seen and participated in writing prompts before. In some cases, it’s a one-word prompt; in others, a phrase or sentence that connects with the strange circuitry of my brain. Occasionally, I feel a spark in an imaginative neuron, and I come up with a short story. This prompt was irresistible to me. See if you can guess which of my favorite deceased authors is depicted in this exercise. Bonus question: which famous poet speaks from beyond the grave with a single word? Feel free to answer in the comments section.

A Social Dilemma in Verse
—by Sue Eller

To like or not to like, that is the Facebook question.
Whether ‘tis nobler online to face the fury of the frowning emoji,
Or to suffer the snide retorts of a smarmy swarm,
Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
To comment and risk the onslaught of verbal rants
Or to simply be ignored, unfriended, or worse—blocked.
To be blocked! Aye! There’s the rub!
To sink into social media oblivion
Or to continue in the way of slow torture
For an eternity of endless, mindless drivel
Until my brains leak out into cyberspace?
Out! Out, ye damned cell phone!
Begone, you foul technology!
I shall be your mindless slave nevermore.

And you can quote me on that 😊