Friday, February 07, 2025

1352 - Smoke and Mirrors

 


The Sunday Whirl presents twelve words for us to use in a creative writing piece.  

This weeks words are: 

touch, hum, flash, faint, gather, staff, tricks, head, snap, bits, cast, shadows 


Smoke and Mirrors

Act I.

Good Evening 
Ladies and gentlemen,
Boys and girls!
I have great pleasure in introducing
The Amazing Lorenzo!

A flash of light, a puff of smoke,
And a very dapper gentleman
With red satin lined cape 
Silk top hat on his head,
Magic staff in his hand,
Steps from the hazy shadows 
And bows to the audience
Gathered in the room before him.
The children are mesmerised
By his every unbelieveable trick—
Things vanish with a snap of his fingers.
The hum of the saw and the scream
Of his beautiful assistant, who faints
Halfway through being sawn in half,
Only to reappear, apparenty untouched.
Cards are cast into his hat
Only to reappear as bits of colourful silk.
And then, with a puff of smoke
He is gone, as mysteriously as he arrived.
Just the faint smell of gunpowder lingers.

Announcer
That was the Amazing Lorenzo!
Give him a round of applause.

Act II

Good Evening 
Ladies and gentlemen,
Residents of Utopia!
I have great pleasure in introducing
Lawrence Greaseball!
The next Member for Utopia!

Flashing lights, a loud drum roll,
The slick car-salesman type,
With his smile on high beam
A logo on the cap on his head,
And assistants and staff at hand,
Steps from the stage shadows 
Arms wide to the crowd
Gathered in the room before him.
The faithful cheer and clap
The cynics are alert for his tricks
Deficits vanish with a snap of his fingers.
The quarter acre block is no longer a dream
If he is elected as their local member.
Taxes will be cast aside. For some.
Jobs will not be touched, well just a bit.
In the land of milk and honey,
Life will hum along for everyone.
Thank you.  I love you all.
Cast your votes for me and all will be fine.
Then he is gone, as mysteriously as he arrived.
Just the faint smell of aftershave lingers.

Announcer
That was Lawrence Greaseball!
Give him a round of applause.



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24 comments:

  1. Love the creativity behind your Wordle! You've woven quite a story. I especially enjoyed the contrast between the magical and mysterious world of The Amazing Lorenzo vs. the charismatic but dodgy politician Lawrence Greaseball.

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    1. Thank Emma, I guess that was the point of the writing: the contrast and the similarities. Both sleight of hand merchants.

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  2. A delightful and surreal circus!

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  3. And only one is delightful entertainment!

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  4. I wonder if the first one is also in reference to someone real and living?? :) Fantastically imagined wordle, either way!!

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  5. True - both the magician and the politician are masters of illusion, performance, and deception. One pulls rabbits out of hats, the other pulls promises out of thin air. The magician makes things vanish with a snap of his fingers, while the politician makes your tax dollars disappear just as easily. Act I dazzles with the magic of stagecraft - light, movement, and sleight of hand that leave you in awe. Act II, however, reveals the real trick: the politician’s promises, smooth talk, and empty gestures, all designed to create illusions of progress.
    I love how you’ve kept the words ‘snap,’ ‘cast,’ and ‘hum’ consistent across both acts - brilliantly done! And those final touches - the lingering gunpowder vs. aftershave – golden! I was almost waiting for the politician to pull a rabbit out of his hat... but, nope - no such luck. Perhaps in the next election? Bravo, maestro of words!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I wouldn't have said 'thin air'. You are much more polite than me.

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    2. Perhaps I may have been more diplomatic. Your words unravel these illusions with precision - no smoke, no mirrors, just sharp and brilliant observation!
      And here is Act III – specially for you, J Cosmo!

      Act III
      Good Evening
      Ladies and gentlemen,
      Poetry lovers and seekers of truth!
      I have the privilege of introducing
      The Unrivalled J Cosmo Newbery!

      A flash of insight,
      And there he stands -
      A poet of rare brilliance,
      With words that pierce the soul.
      The crowd listens in silence,
      Hanging on every verse.
      Truths are revealed in the simplest lines,
      Each word a key to unlocking understanding.
      The hum of inspiration fills the room,
      As listeners are drawn in,
      Never deceived, always moved.
      And then, with a pause,
      He is gone -
      Leaving only the lingering resonance of truth,
      And the promise of more poems to come.

      Announcer:
      That was the incomparable J Cosmo Newbery!
      Give him a round of applause.

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    3. Instead of 'sleight of hand' maybe I am a 'sleight of word' merchant!

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    4. Sleight of Mouth?

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    5. Ah, indeed! A true master of verbal illusion, making words dance and delight with effortless charm!

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  6. Creatively shown. The slick guy at high beam with the cap is a huge problem because the assistants never give him an ounce of shade no matter what maddening and outrageous things he says and does.

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  7. There plenty of amazing Greaseballs these days. I like the pace and imagery of this piece!

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  8. Our greaseball leaves orange skid marks and a nasty musky scent wherever he goes.

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  9. Amazing Lorenzo is just that ~~ AMAZING. I love how you wrote the contrasts and the likenesses. Well done my friend, well done.

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  10. Brilliant use of a word list!

    PK

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