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deviantesse94 — Purposeless Wanderer
Published: 2011-11-06 06:46:20 +0000 UTC; Views: 493; Favourites: 6; Downloads: 6
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Description There are white clouds hovering in the vast blue expanse above. I rise from my supine condition, grab my backpack of stuff and leave the park, ambling to the nearest restaurant. When I've arrived, I am not alone. There are others there too, searching for edible materials. It doesn't have to be nourishing, just something that could give us energy to carry on our pointless lives. I join them in the dark alley—oh, it's dark everywhere now! The alley is darker than other places so some of us have flashlights to guide our food search.

I begin my search with an untouched metallic dustbin. I remove the lid and tear the black garbage bag inside the bin. Gold. Silver. These treasures lay before my eyes. Holding one of them in my hands, I inspect it at every angle. Still good. Like most of the stuff we usually scavenge. It's a massive squander of goods but without this wasting habit of the fortunate ones, we would have nothing. We scavengers are all good people here. Our pockets are empty, most have multiple holes. We don't have cash but we don't rob, steal or scrounge. Holey pockets but holy hearts. We don't need money, the catalyst for corruption. Nor do we really want them. Of course, we want a lot of things. Everyone does.

But we don't need pity.

What people fail to realize is that we don't need what we want. We realize that and so we only acquire what we need. We don't take or ask anything from anybody. We get it ourselves. You need it, go get it. We're independent. Even when people give us, we usually refuse. If they insist strongly, however, we accept it just to stop them from pitying us. We don't need pity. We're doing fine. Sure, we're homeless. We sleep by the streets—or just about anywhere—on cardboard boxes although some don't even need anything to lie upon the hard concrete. But we sleep well. We sleep a deep, dreamless slumber. How many of these people who sleep on lavish beds with puffy pillows and cosy blankets actually sleep well, without any endless ponders and wonders of tomorrow's woes?

I keep the treasures into my backpack. Not all but just enough for me not to starve for a few days. A big bottle that is almost full of drinking water, some fruits and buns. The buns are a bit burnt, but they would still make a sumptuous, light meal. After dawdling among the time chasers who are hustling and bustling around, I sit down in front of an old bookshop at a corner of a street. This is my spot, as I like to call it. I love sitting here. Whenever I'm at my spot, I turn into a wallflower and scrutinize the occurrences around me.

There's a man and a woman walking together with linked arms. There seems to be an age gap between the two lovers. The man's ring finger bears a golden ring while the woman does not. There's a family in a diner. Their mouths are clamped shut. A boy, sitting next to a woman, is finishing his meal. A man is seated in front of them with his fingers knotted to each other on the table. Silence conquers the family but the expressions on their faces seem to say otherwise. Once the boy has the last bite, the woman looks around and summons a waiter. The man offers to pay but the woman fishes for her purse in her handbag and hands a bill to the waiter quickly. She then grabs the hand of the boy and leaves the place with him. The man remains in his seat, calls a waiter and orders something.
I observe these people as they carry on with their lives without my having my own life. I have got nothing to do. I have no purpose in life. I am homeless. I am free. I am bored. I have nothing. I am nothing. There's nothing for me to have. I live day by day without any difficulties. No thrills, just chill. What's a homeless man to do? Search for something? Get a life? I don't want any of that. If you have something, you can lose it. If you have nothing, however, you've got nothing to lose. I don't want to lose anything anymore. I've lost enough and I've had enough of life.

Why not end it then?

I've directed that question to myself a couple of times already. I don't know. It's just that—suicide is not something to be trifled with. You don't kill yourself because you're bored. I don't mind being dead though. I just need someone or something to do it for me—end my life, I mean. Perhaps something like a terminal illness, a tragic accident or murdered.

There's nothing else for me in this world; nothing for us.
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Comments: 18

KittyKidd17 [2015-07-22 21:16:04 +0000 UTC]

Amazing. You've described my soul.

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Jason-Zapata [2011-11-27 15:54:58 +0000 UTC]

#3 I don't know if the title is accurate. The homeless man's existence is no less purposeful than the cheating couple or the broken family in the Restaurant. The homeless man is a hunter / gatherer (well mostly gatherer) in a material age.

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deviantesse94 In reply to Jason-Zapata [2011-12-05 04:28:05 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for your opinion

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Jason-Zapata In reply to deviantesse94 [2011-12-06 00:32:34 +0000 UTC]

NP

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NekoMarik [2011-11-21 22:48:48 +0000 UTC]

This has been featured here: [link]

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deviantesse94 In reply to NekoMarik [2011-11-27 02:36:46 +0000 UTC]

Gee, thanks!

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NekoMarik [2011-11-17 02:38:30 +0000 UTC]

Before I get on with the critique portion, here are some errors and nit-picking:
In the first sentence, the use of the word “stuff” in incongruous with the sophisticated language in the rest of the story. Maybe just “…grab my backpack and leave…” would suit the piece better. And the use of “oh!” seems less ironic that out of place, because the narrator seems to be a blunt person. “The alley is darker than other places, so some…” needs a comma where I put it, and I think “guide our search for food” is more in line with the tone.
In the second paragraph, I think you should cut out “the bin” to make the second sentence read “I remove the lid and tear the black garbage bag inside.” Since the previous sentence ends in “dustbin,” it’s a little redundant.
“Holey pockets but holy hearts.” LOVE. THAT. PHRASE.
“We don't need money, the catalyst for corruption. Nor do we really want it.” Since I assume you are referring to money, that should be singular.
“What people fail to realize is that we don't need what we want. We realize that and so we only acquire what we need. We don't take or ask anything from anybody. We get it ourselves. You need it, go get it. We're independent. Even when people give us, we usually refuse. If they insist strongly, however, we accept it just to stop them from pitying us. We don't need pity.” sounds overly obvious. Trying to explain the theme directly to the reader is never good. If you cut out this part and just change it to “But we don’t need pity,” it would be stronger, because the message would be implied but not said outright.
“The buns are a bit burnt,” and “….sumptuous, light meal.”

The real critique:
1) I think the “we” is more fitting it shows that the narrator still sees himself as a member of some larger group.
2) As above. ^_^
3) Maybe “Wanderer” or “Free and Lost” would suit the story’s theme more.
4) I don’t see anything that’s missing, but that’s because I like leaving back stories for the audience to construct.
5) Except for the above, it flows perfectly.

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deviantesse94 In reply to NekoMarik [2011-11-17 08:35:46 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for the critique! Very constructive C: "Free and Lost" really suits, I think.

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wh0rem0ans [2011-11-14 23:09:11 +0000 UTC]

1. 'Whenever I'm at my spot, I would turn into a wallflower and scrutinize the occurrences around me. ' should be 'Whenever I'm at my spot, I turn into a wallflower and scrutinize the occurrences around me.'

This begins well and then wanders a bit. It does need more proofing as well. And I thought you would expand on the idea that gold is found in the trash.

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deviantesse94 In reply to wh0rem0ans [2011-11-16 08:57:00 +0000 UTC]

Corrected it already. Thanks!

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wh0rem0ans In reply to deviantesse94 [2011-11-16 11:34:13 +0000 UTC]

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KwatzHeWrote [2011-11-08 22:20:39 +0000 UTC]

A very interesting piece. I like the fact that nothing really happens, just as this man keeps living doing nothing except keeping living. The description of his thoughts is very vivid and gives a realistic glimpse of a life with no purpose, a situation quite unusual for us, who always run after something.
It's poetic too. Especially this: “Holey pockets but holy hearts.”.
As for the questions:
1) It's perfectly understandable
2) No, but this is not my mother-language.
3) Well, the title isn't very intriguing, but states precisely what you will tell about. What about “I am nothing.”
4) It's okay as it is.

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deviantesse94 In reply to KwatzHeWrote [2011-11-09 01:29:26 +0000 UTC]

Your critique is highly appreciated. Thanks! I'll think of your title suggestion. Also, thanks for the fave on this piece.

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Janoera [2011-11-07 15:27:28 +0000 UTC]

"...just something that could give us energy to carry on their pointless lives." It gets a little confusing here, you should stick with us/ours or them/their.

1. Carry on with the "we". It gives a sense of unity and importance, like its not just the irrelevant thoughts of one man. As for the last paragraph, I feel that it's okay the way it is.

2. Perhaps you need to make the transition from action to musings in the second paragraph a bit more gradual. Its weird for a homeless man to suddenly contemplate this as he does something that seems to be fairly routine, you know? Or perhaps its just me.

Oh ya, you have two 2.s.

4. Nope, nothing more to add. Its a pretty thought provoking story, keep it up!

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deviantesse94 In reply to Janoera [2011-11-08 02:47:44 +0000 UTC]

Can you please explain your answer to my second question in detail? I can't really grasp it. What does '2.s.' mean?

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Janoera In reply to deviantesse94 [2011-11-08 05:21:08 +0000 UTC]

It's nothing story related really. It's just when you list your points you have 4, but you put 1,2,2,3.

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deviantesse94 In reply to Janoera [2011-11-08 11:14:25 +0000 UTC]

Whaaaa? I still don't get it LOL

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deviantesse94 In reply to deviantesse94 [2011-11-09 02:51:41 +0000 UTC]

Oh right. I get it now. Ahaha

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