Prompt
“I’ve been on the top. I’ve been on the bottom. Both places are empty.” ~ Nico
On Writing
Breathe the sentence in. Exhale the sentence. Inhale and exhale each word. Now inhale and exhale the sentence. Then, go!
There is only one rule, keep your hand moving.
Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or punctuation. If you feel stuck, keep writing anyway. Try going back to the prompt and write it out until other words arise, then write those—or, repeat the last word you wrote again and again until new words appear—or, write, “I am stuck,” or “I can’t think of anything,” as long as you keep your hand moving. Writing is physical, the words will move through your body and come out of your hand—just keep it moving.
Now go – for five, ten, fifteen minutes . .
(when you are done, feel free to share your work in the comments – or share on your own blog. Consider including a link to this post if you do.)
May 5, 2021
Flagstaff, AZ
holly troy ~ sacred folly 
Once upon a time a tiny dive club called the Underground was born in that dismal and heroic suburb of south London called Croydon. It was a short-lived affair, opening in 1985 and gone within 18 months, due, it has always been opined, to a nasty rash of nazi skins who seemed to descend there toward the end, causing much mayhem and generally bumming everybody’s vibe right out. But, in its time, The Underground was host to so many up and coming and circuit bands. I recall witnessing The Fall, King Kurt, Fields of The Nephilim, The Bangles, an unknown Stone Roses, Jah Wobble, Johnny Thunders, Sigue Sigue Sputnik’s debut and Nico.
She would’ve been not long for this world in 1986. She played a harmonium and sang and was accompanied by a young, fresh faced guy strumming an acoustic. They both slouched on bar stools at the front of the low stage. I would have found her wonderful: deathly pale and thin, her Germanic cheekbones and chin, her slo-mo speech, her gloom-folk, utterly wonderful and strange. Of course, it sounded nothing like Chelsea Girl – nothing like it. These doom-laden whirrs shuffled on and on into the abyss beneath the lights as we stood around her like mesmerised children, which we were. It was awful and awesome at once. It was clear to me immediately that I was witness to intimate rocknroll greatness.
Chelsea Girl remains, if I’m pushed, definitely one of my desert island discs. I mean, how could it not be? Lou, Sterling and Cale. A Dylan number, three (?!) Jackson Browne numbers (hm, someone was banging something or someone). It is sometimes spoken of as the missing VU album…yeah, maybe. I like that. But it was not for another 20 years that I would succumb to her death rattle chantelle, wring-a-long, heroin and musk oil gothic slab/yrinth …The End. This record is only to be played once a year, late at night, in winter, high, and with great bravery on headphones. Go in deep, treat yourself, get ya doom on. Peace. x
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I love this on so many levels.
I love the idea of playing The End with reverence, and once a year with great bravery, in winter late at night. This will be my birthday album request next year (or maybe the night before my birthday).
Peace and slab/yrinths – x
HT
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You clearly are the warrior Princess of Mars…’This will be my birthday album request’ 🙂 – i suppose after a session with The End a birthday (or any day really) can only be even more joyous! All hail The Holly of Troy!
a 1000 ships and one face.
xo
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“It’s such a gamble when you get a face!” – Richard Hell
xo
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I most of all love that you got to be in the presence of Nico! – “These doom-laden whirrs shuffled on and on into the abyss beneath the lights as we stood around her like mesmerised children, which we were. It was awful and awesome at once. It was clear to me immediately that I was witness to intimate rocknroll greatness.”
Breathtaking!
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that “nasty rash of nazi skins” though – always messes up a good vibe!
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Lilith did not like being on the bottom. She wanted to be on top, but her boring, unimaginative husband would have it no other way. Lilith rebelled, fled from her husband and was cursed with all her offspring dying for her act of rebellion. Lilith became a renowned wicked witch who seduces men and murders children. Although Lilith is a minor character in Gilgamesh, her earliest known literary appearance, she has endured through the ages. Who, after all, knows who Gilgamesh was these days?
That is a wonderful photo.
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