Ilex Cahokia and A Common Piece
by Randal Houle
Ilex Cahokia
Remember Cahokia, that pleasant sight, dark elixir of eternity and forgotten ritual. Analyzing the residue, we come to learn that Ilex Cassine and Ilex Vomitoria was in wide use among the new people many generations before coffee in Europe, or Columbus, we remember Cahokia, a land of fervor and delight, in the Black Drink of dried Ilex Cassine, near the dark waters of the great lakes and remembering Cahokia, a place we rent near the water's edge, for we dare not enter, but analyzing the residue, we notice traces of Ilex Vomitoria and give ourselves over to the ritual purging, for sin comes from within and analyzing the residue, we remember Cahokia, a place of cleansing, of Christmas Holly, of eating and shopping and consumption, and of the Black Drink, of Ilex Vomitoria, of consumerism, until we purge but we cannot cleanse, for we have forgotten Cahokia.
A COMMON PIECE
a common piece of pottery, not the largest, as most at the time would desire, but still a rare find, made from earlier clay and fired from wood forgotten long ago.
a common piece of pottery, a terra cotta idol, not the largest, but very rare and its purpose hidden to us, as unknown as its people, who may have been like us, had they existed in our space-time, may have tossed the earthen vessels aside as any common piece of pottery, or buried such thing in the loamy overburden.
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Author's Note
These two pieces were inspired in part by Archaeology magazine Nov/Dec 2012 Page 68.
Other stories by Randal Houle
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There's a mysterious and magical tone in this that's quite captivating. I enjoyed reading it. *
The second sentence needs some effort to parse: "Analyzing the residue, we come to learn ..., we remember ... and remembering ... we notice ... and analyzing the residue, we remember ... until we purge ..."
The logic however is impossible to decipher, since the piece is out of context.
The second part reads like a series of footnotes. They're seemingly cuts from sentences (because if the ending periods).
In the context of fictionaut, this might be put in the "experimenting with form" category. An interesting piece, imho.
Thank you, Charlotte, eamon, I appreciate your support.
This is intriguing. Conjures up so many images for me.
*
"a common piece of pottery, not the largest, as most at the time would desire, but still a rare find, made from earlier clay and fired from wood forgotten long ago."
*
And what Charlotte and Kitty said.
I'm with eamon on this one. Had to do a little Googling, but learned something.
Thanks Rachna, Matthew, Bill and Kitty. It is intriguing and strange, but that's what makes it cool. ;)