Interlude: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

My 

Memories of

Floorboards creaking

Wild dust bunnies staring

My face pressed against a tatami

Problems washing over me like a tsunami
 
An old woman before me, leader of the yakuza

A group of misfits behind me, stray dogs of the katana

I am told that the only honorable way to survive this strife

Is to win a grand battle of words, the defeated forfeits their life 

You’d need to be alive to settle the debt? All I have to offer is less

Tell me, hasn’t there been enough payment trouble in this lifelessness?

 

 

...

Next Chapter: Coming soon...

Previous Chapter: Yakuza Noir 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

O.G. Ghostwriter

Image
The lifelessness I've led has made me into the grand writer I am today. There was a time when I lurked in the cellars of the Paris Opera House, singing songs and wearing masks, a time when I commanded The Flying Dutchman, braving the seas and bringing disaster with me everywhere I sailed, and a time when I challenged Hamlet to decide whether to be or not to be – personally, that wasn't much of a problem for me, for I once was but no longer am. During my long haunting years I have experienced so much. The next logical step is to write my own experiences into a book, and that is exactly what I'm doing.  Behold! My autobiography, Confessions of O.G. Ghostwriter , a masterpiece just waiting to be written. I shall describe in excruciating detail everything that has ever happened to me. It’s going to be a banger. The quill is sharpened and the inkwell opened; now, let the magic happen! I shall think for a moment. What would be a brilliant beginning for my grand novel? "It wa...
Read more

Matcha Made in Heaven

Image
Dear Diary! I am in Korea for reasons you already know. Hanging out at the subway stations has allowed me to focus on the essentials, namely writing my latest bestseller-to-be, "K-Style Tips for Fashion-Impaired Travelers." Here is a small excerpt: "In Korea, the favored dress code is primarily black or white, possibly grey if you happen to be in a particularly wild mood. Travelers dressed in white sheets can therefore breathe a sigh of relief, as wearing your signature outfit will ensure you blend into the enviable crowd of style icons as easily as matcha powder into hot water..." Pretty good stuff, huh? It's guaranteed to fly off bookstore shelves faster than you can say: Buy my books, because I desperately need the money!  Speaking of matcha… I am currently writing this diary entry in a trendy cafe like some chic modern-day ghoul, and I'm just going to say, the cafe business has gone to hell! I tried to order a plain coffee with milk, and I was asked if I...
Read more

Fantastic Baby

Image
Annyeonghaseyo!  I’m still in Korea because, surprise, surprise, I can't afford the return flight ticket back home. I might as well get used to the situation; travel broadens the mind. During these past few weeks I’ve learned a lot about this completely unfamiliar culture, and also a lot about myself – for instance, that I cannot stand traveling! I’m constantly thinking about my next meal, constantly fighting with homeless people over a park bench to sleep on, and let me tell you one thing: when it rains, it pours. So travel broadens the mind, while making you soaking wet, unrested, and hungry.  And what’s even worse is all I can think about is my home manor, and the fact that my ghostwriting business is in ruins. AI has taken a large portion of my old clients, which means the sound of my fax machine beeping is a thing of the past. My own book writing isn't going that well either. I keep submitting my manuscripts to publishers, but they won't touch them with a ten-foot pole...
Read more