70 responses to “Our pyre of ignorance”

1. nicely penned

   The Sunshine

   • Ah… thank you 🙂

2. Bjorn, This sounds like something some of our leaders might do in ignorance and pride. Let’s hope it doensn’t happen that way if we have friendly alien visitors some day. Well written. 🙂 —Susan

   • I hope so too, but I’m afraid humanity would not react that way…

3. I genuinely like your writing, it has this powerful quality and the undercurrent of social consciousness that is rare in this busy, loud world we live in.

   • Thank you.. I hope I would act that way and not just think right 🙂

4. I like the oblique reference to the light through your use of the word ‘neon’, but also that your story made me look at the picture in a different way – no longer seeing bottles and light, but an alien space-craft. Nice work.
   Claire

   • Thank you.. sometimes it’s good to go with your very first impression.. and it took me a while to see the bottles.

5. Our prye stops many things from happening.

   Thanks for coming by to visit.

   • Indeed.. we are doing many things I’m far from proud of.

6. They left us to our pyre of ignorance. And that says it all.
   Another great story Bjorn that left me feeling kind of sad (in a good way) Alicia

   • Ah,.. yes — darkness is my signum

7. That was a great take on the prompt Bjorn!

   • Thank you Sandra..

8. An ominous story and I could see it happening, if such a scenario ever came true. I wonder what we would do in that situation. Probably be divided as a species. This story has the feel of an epic tragedy.

   • I think the strategy might already have happened….

9. Very creative and lyrically told. Bjorn.

   janet

   • Thank you.. somehow once I saw the alien ship I could not go elsewhere.

     • I understand that. Sometimes I think a story isn’t good enough or “unique” enough but it’s in my brain and must be told.

10. This is the beauty of FF, each picture speaks to its writer uniquely. I think your last line ties it to the prompt beautifully.

    • Thank you.. somehow it’s easier to do a dystopy

11. We seem to turn them away with ruthless determination, don’t we?

    • We do – all good advices are ignored

12. Great title. Is that an original expression? The story os that of Earth, I’m afraid. And it’s too late now. Great stuff.

    • The expression is one I invented —

13. Seems we are slowly killing ourselves already in our pyre of ignorance.

    • we probably already had those friendly visitors.. but we decided to light the pyre instead,,

14. I like that you followed where your eyes took you. I too can see the alien craft. of course since you wrote it so well.

    • ah.. yes so far we are two that have seen the alien craft…

15. All they wanted to do was help. Great take on the prompt.

    • Usually we have a hard time that anything but kindness could exist.

16. I especially like your process notes! K.

    • Ah.. yes maybe finding spaceships in the bottom of bottles sounds exciting.. but I declare I’m totally sober today 🙂

      • Ha.

17. I love it when someone sees something in a picture that is totally different. Of course your writing is excellent, but it’s your mind that fascinates in this.

    • Thank you.. I have noted at least one more alien landing 🙂

18. your imagination is simply out of this world. you let me see what i can’t see.

    • sometimes it’s because I squeeze my eyes almost shut and loose focus. 🙂

19. come on, baby, light my pyre.
    i like the road you took with this pic. randy

    • ha.. like that song too .. was it a Zombies’ hit?

      • sounds like it, doesn’t it? Ha.
        (but in case you weren’t funning – it was The Doors)

20. Thanks for explaining, but the prompt is to help us write!
    🙂
    Scott

    • Indeed… but you can see a lot in bottles.

      • Yes, my friend, you can!

21. Very nice. I’m actually surprised we didn’t just start chucking nukes at them.
    I’m thinking that by “too late” they realise our garden world will not be so green and pleasant for very much longer.
    Made me think, this story!

    • yes.. it might be too late already..

22. Dear Bjorn,

    I especially loved the phrase, the pyre of our ignorance, but felt this entire story was a rather perfect take on the prompt and an observant portrait of one of our possible futures. I wonder how many times we’ve been considered ,and then silently left to fend for ourselves. Good work.

    Aloha,

    Doug

    • Thank you Doug, I have a tendency to write in a pessimistic mode.. and maybe we already have these aliens among us, trying to tell us about the necessity to change

23. Dear Björn,

    What you see in a photo is what you see. 😉 We all know it’s a picture of bottles. Your interpretation is imaginative and well written. Gives us much to ponder.

    shalom,

    Rochelle

    • yes.. I know there is at least one more story seeing a UFO..I think I saw the ads from “close encounters of the third kind” in the back of my head.

24. The picture is very UFO-like now you’ve pointed it out! Nice take on the prompt 🙂

    • Thank you.. maybe you see what you want to…:-)

25. I do see the light and opening where they came in! There really are UFOs you know,. Seriously.

    Lily

    • But they come in peace 🙂

26. pyre of ignorance!!! aptly put, i like it

27. Superb!

28. I like the slow pace of the first two paragraphs, reflecting the thoughtful preparedness and generational knowledge of the visitors. The sharp pace of the last part contrasts really well. We didn’t really stop to think at all, did we. Thanks for the story.
    Marg

29. left us to our pyre of ignorance. how very sad. wonderful imagination, though.. and yep, the picture is perfect for a sci-fi tale 🙂

30. Wow! Your story made me hold my breath in awe. I loved all of it, the language, the images, your imagination, the story … and here we are, left to burn in the “pyre of ignorance!”

31. This reminds me of a lovely Sun Ra song:
    They’ll come back in ships of gold
    With wisdom never told
    Shades of myth-world’s splendor
    And they’ll take back the others
    Who are not of earth’s dimension one
    The others who are ready
    Melody harmonic rhythmic planes,
    Chromatic magic is eternal,
    Outward on pleasant spheres,
    Nothing is, yet everything is all
    A splendid neverness…

32. I was attracted to the light too, Bjorn. I enjoyed your alien take. I think the humans are pretty violent, and I think others would think the same. We would really be missing out, too, because we need all the help we can get.

33. Dear Bjorn – Clever and elegant story. I bet this has happened many times. We wouldn’t learn from anything or anyone – just because we are a stubborn species! Good job! Nan 🙂

34. Bjorn, Lovely space-story 🙂
    Even I thought of a different tale when I saw the bottles 🙂

35. That is so cool…spaceship of missionaries…very clever!!

36. Taught and carefully planted in, Bjorn. You made it good and then some!
    Five Swedish meatballs. 😉

37. A space ship of missionaries…turned away and laughed at…not surprising in this day and age. I enjoyed this, Bjorn.
    Ellespeth

38. Hell, we don’t read instructions or ask for directions so why should we listen to them? I think most of our population considers their ignorance pure, unadulterated bliss.

39. They should have dropped by my house. They’d have been welcome.

40. That first line is gorgeous, Björn and the story poetic– no surprise, coming from you! 😉 I saw space lights too, but know that sci-fi is not my comfort zone. You, clearly are very comfortable.

41. As soon as I saw the arresting title I had high hopes for this story and it certainly lived up to them – “Targeting the spectral lines of life, they came in peace” is a lovely idea and image.

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