The Dirge of William Ablis
William Ablis, aged 27 years.
Died of music.
---
Music had been young William's first companion.
In his childhood, William saw little of his mother or father. They had buisness that needed attending to. Always more buisness. They worked so hard that they did not have friends, so no visitors called on them during weekends, no relatives visited over the holidays, no neighbors stopped to chat. William grew up in the image of his parents- always focused on some small, insignificant thing, too busy for the world around him. And when young William began to feel the coldness of his isolation settle on him, he turned on music.
It did not matter what type of music he listened to. He heard Rock n' Roll and he heard Blues. He heard Classical overtures and he heard Spiritual refrains. And when he could not turn on music- in the dead of the night, when he lay awake in the pressing darkness, with eyes open but unseeing- he heard the music in his head.
He did not sing to himself- not really. There was just music in his mind. Whenever he willed it, he could listen to the favorite songs that comforted him when he felt sad, or the joyous songs that bouyed his spirits, or the sorrowful songs that sympathized with his secret desire for humanity.
And at first, the songs were faint and infrequent, merely music. But as William grew up, unhappy and alone, the music became more insistant. A song that he even just thought of would conjour itself up and replay itself over and over again. William began to feel like his songs were no longer the friends of childhood. They had adopted a more sinister character. They mocked him. They were the testiment to his failings as a human creature. Music was the soul of his despair.
And when William realized he had lost the only friend he had ever really known, the songs became violent. He would seize up and tremble as the music crushed his thoughts. He began to twitch whenever the music chose to control him. And, at last, William could not take it any longer. The music in his mind had beaten him. It had showed him that life needs outlet. That a mind can only amuse itself for so long before it begins to break down, before the pretentions and defenses we erect to keep our secret selves apart from the "self" we project to those who surround us.
William Ablis, aged 27, took his own life. He left behind no wife, no children, no friends. William Ablis, aged 27, left nothing behind by which he might be remembered, and accomplished nothing in his life. William Ablis, aged 27, was the product of a society that creates machines, incapable of making love, sympathy, and joy its primary concerns.
William Ablis, aged 27, died of the music in his head.
Died of music.
---
Music had been young William's first companion.
In his childhood, William saw little of his mother or father. They had buisness that needed attending to. Always more buisness. They worked so hard that they did not have friends, so no visitors called on them during weekends, no relatives visited over the holidays, no neighbors stopped to chat. William grew up in the image of his parents- always focused on some small, insignificant thing, too busy for the world around him. And when young William began to feel the coldness of his isolation settle on him, he turned on music.
It did not matter what type of music he listened to. He heard Rock n' Roll and he heard Blues. He heard Classical overtures and he heard Spiritual refrains. And when he could not turn on music- in the dead of the night, when he lay awake in the pressing darkness, with eyes open but unseeing- he heard the music in his head.
He did not sing to himself- not really. There was just music in his mind. Whenever he willed it, he could listen to the favorite songs that comforted him when he felt sad, or the joyous songs that bouyed his spirits, or the sorrowful songs that sympathized with his secret desire for humanity.
And at first, the songs were faint and infrequent, merely music. But as William grew up, unhappy and alone, the music became more insistant. A song that he even just thought of would conjour itself up and replay itself over and over again. William began to feel like his songs were no longer the friends of childhood. They had adopted a more sinister character. They mocked him. They were the testiment to his failings as a human creature. Music was the soul of his despair.
And when William realized he had lost the only friend he had ever really known, the songs became violent. He would seize up and tremble as the music crushed his thoughts. He began to twitch whenever the music chose to control him. And, at last, William could not take it any longer. The music in his mind had beaten him. It had showed him that life needs outlet. That a mind can only amuse itself for so long before it begins to break down, before the pretentions and defenses we erect to keep our secret selves apart from the "self" we project to those who surround us.
William Ablis, aged 27, took his own life. He left behind no wife, no children, no friends. William Ablis, aged 27, left nothing behind by which he might be remembered, and accomplished nothing in his life. William Ablis, aged 27, was the product of a society that creates machines, incapable of making love, sympathy, and joy its primary concerns.
William Ablis, aged 27, died of the music in his head.
posted by Jonc0re at
12:14 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home