I like to get up out of bed at night when my thoughts are hissing and flicking their scattered tongues, weaving in and out of my ears.
To wear nothing but cotton undies and a woolen jumper while sitting at my desk, one foot curled tightly under me, indulging for a moment in the luxury of the midnight silence and the empty space surrounding me.
Feeling royal in a Collingwood flat.
Chasing ghosts with thickly buttered toast and black cherry jam.
I’d like to write down some of these slithering snakes, to pluck them one by one out of this browning apple and pin them for you to understand.
But you see, it’s easy to catch and talk about the big ones; deaths, rapes, cheaters and all the other gods and events.
To be completely honest, they are lazy and not worth worrying about as much as their size may suggest.
It’s the small things that churn me. Flexing their tiny bodies under my skin. Resembling translucent maggots rather.
The devil is in them, hiding because he’s too ashamed and embarrassed, petty in his jealousy and mistrust and digging himself in deeper with tiny teeth, a whole round mouth full, every time his ego is bruised.
Feasting on my juicy insides, eating away with each new disappointment until one day there won’t be any of me left and they’ll fall off chalk bones.
Saturated.
Bellies swollen.
Gluttonous little fuckers!
All my tired pretty horses
26/03/08
roybarry, about 1 month ago
Absolutely brilliant Art, quite brilliant.
Ash rebeltherace, about 1 month ago
so morbid
and descriptive
a new favourite! = ]
Sharon Hammond, about 1 month ago
Sensational piece Jess
Luckyvegetable, about 1 month ago
Wonderful and so true. I worry about those little suckers as well =)
Dwayne Boyd, about 1 month ago
A pen or a keyboard can hardly serve as adequate pest control for those.
Nice Job! Thanks for allowing me the pleasure of reading.
Mark German, about 1 month ago
You’ve described the feeling perfectly.
Good writing, Jess.
Col Finnie, about 1 month ago
I don’t read people’s written stuff much here. But I’m gunna pay more attention to your stuff at least JT. Beautiful to read on a topic so uncomfortably easy to relate to.
LisaG, about 1 month ago
Geez Jess….this is brilliant writing but I can’t help but feel very concerned….
Hugs for you XOXOXO
Ozcloggie, about 1 month ago
As the others wrote (especially, Col) and relating but cannot identify with that devil. Where did he come from? What does he look like. This devil is male?
observer, about 1 month ago
What a great analogy and so beautifully written. And so true.
.
Jessica Tremp in reply to Ozcloggie’s comment, about 1 month ago
Thanks Ozcloggie…it’s hard to pin him down in a way…he’s split up in to multiple little pieces, attacks from all different corners and hard to keep an eye on…
Geoff Coleman, about 1 month ago
Fantastic Jessica – beautiful prose poem about those insidious maggoty little sleep stealers – had a great laugh reading this – the constant delight you find as a reader in writing – that you are not alone.
Jeff Burns, about 1 month ago
OMG awesome Jessica your writing is AWESOME.
Wow I am floored by this one
BrainCandy, about 1 month ago
Absolutely fantastic. Makes me feel ashamed, that despite the fact tham my brain is buzzing, I can talk about it, but can’t write to save myself.
TRACY BAGNALL, about 1 month ago
I know them well. But it is not always easy to catch them and tame them. Well done great piece.
Kristy Lee, about 1 month ago
“It’s the small things that churn me” Yes yes yes…the small things…we have talked about this before I think. How it’s not the big ‘important’ events that seem to haunt us…but those little things. Or what ‘should’ be little things. Filthy fuckers. Oh, I do hear you so well. HUGGS and love.
Rella, about 1 month ago
Big things can’t do anything without the little things holding them up.
This rocks xx
Adrian Carmody, about 1 month ago
When I don’t feel the snakes slithering and pushing their way out… I worry that they are a big part of who I am… and if they were gone, whatever dark magic they held will be lost.
ltruskett, about 1 month ago
I connect on every level of this piece. Nice to know I am not the only one who has shaken hands with the nightime boogyman. Sometimes I wish the sun shone 24/7. Keep those little fuckers at bay for good. :O Brilliant, my dear.
mick8585, about 1 month ago
Dark, tight writing always appeals to me. It appears Im not the only one sitting at my desk in the wee hours, fighting demons off.
ryan munson, about 1 month ago
hi jessica. i enjoyed reading all my tired pretty horses. you have great command of language. i read every word, rapt. very nice writting.
Yasemin Sumner, about 1 month ago
this is beautifully written…. and with such empathy…. you have a gift for turning a phrase on it’s grotesque head and making it perform beautiful handstands…
Michael Alesich, about 1 month ago
Great writing Jess. (Yasemin’s description above outdoes anything I could say, and I totally agree with it.)
For some unknown reason I now want to go to the reptile area at the zoo and chuck a skeleton in there to get a photo.
Trish Cooper, about 1 month ago
WOW jessica you truly are gifted…this piece is amazing…....you have that gift of drawing a reader in and keeping their attention the whole way through…. Ins fav!!!!!!!!!! xoxo
clone42, about 1 month ago
I just had an epiphany…
DiannaLee, about 1 month ago
hahaha …this is a classic…I so enjoyed the read…certainly kept me interested till the very end.
juliejulie, about 1 month ago
jess this is so wonderful. poignant in the funniest way. I’ve got some mortein, we can spray the little f*ckers and delight in their downfall before they delight in ours.
Jboo09, about 1 month ago
Oh.My.God. This is so incredibly awesome Jessica, I’m in shock after reading this… how I wish I had written it myself, because you describe my mind so perfectly! Funny how so many of us suffer in the very same ways. Anyway, this is is perfectly stunning writing, and I adore it.
dearpoppy, about 1 month ago
god, you write so beautifully…its visual, sensual…and clever…what a talent you are!
greenbeards, about 1 month ago
loved how you went about this.
Laurie McClave, about 1 month ago
nicely not so nice, very feelingly descriptive!
Metamorphosis, 23 days ago
incredible!
flower68, 18 days ago
is that what that hissng noise I’ve noticed lately is..thanks.
great expression.
Melissa Sampson, 13 days ago
Wow, I like a lot!
~ Ryan ~, 13 days ago
brilliant writing Jennifer
xx
~ Ryan ~, 13 days ago
JESSICA !!
JESSICA!!
aaaaaaagh how embarrassment LOL i knew i did that the second i pressed enter LOL