The Vigil Over

The vigil over, I stood beneath the streetlight and thought of what I’d witnessed inside.

Each of us weaves a net of our experience and gleaned information, of our opinions, our likes and dislikes.

We cast this net throughout our world, trapping only that which the net will hold. Everything else slips through, and we, oblivious, continue on our way.

Everyone has an idea about death. Death comes to us all, so we craft notions we cherish and defend all our lives.

And at some point, we all learn our idea of death is wrong. We must let it go.

Friday Fictioneers

23 comments

Add Yours
  1. Sabio Lantz

    Really enjoyed this, but had to read a few times to see if I got the point(s).
    First, liked that you used the pic merely as the setting for person contemplating a death. And the cynical, pessimistic, yet very true observation of the net full of holes that we pretend to catch water with. And how we use beliefs to protect ourselves, ignoring their truth value. Your last statement is open: doesn’t tell us what the character feels is the true idea of death. But interestingly, you think we are ALL wrong.

  2. Margaret

    So many thought-provoking gems in your piece. I like your idea of a net that only captures what we want it to, or what fits our preconceived ideas. Fascinating stuff. I do want to know what he’s ‘witnessed inside’.

Don't just stand there.