The sky was gray with gray clouds gray from all the sadness in the world. The whole world was gray.
Well the beggar man looked up at the sky and smiled. He knew that where there were clouds, there were silver linings.
He looked and looked and looked and looked and looked and looked for the silver linings.
His brow creased, his eyes narrowed, his lips turned downward, and he started getting choked up. And then, he really started getting choked up. And then he began to sob lightly, but he was trying not to cry. You know how that goes? When you're really trying to hold it back. And then, through the tears, he looked up at the sky, again. He squinted and looked hard for the silver lining--there was none.
And then he let go. He began to cry and sob hard, and the tears came flowing out like the rivers of the Ganges. He reeled back as if he was hit, until his back hit a wall, and then he felt along until the wall led him to the nearest alleyway; he crept in and slid down against the wall. He cried and cried.
He slid over to his side, huddled up in the fetal position and cried some more, until he fell asleep.
He woke up, as it was raining, very windy, and had become nighttime. He was soaked. It was freezing.
He struggled to his feet, felt around his big empty pockets for his flask, until he found it. It had been a dreamless sleep. He took a small swig and began to cry again. He made his way to the main street, which was empty. He was a weak beggar man. His back hurt. His fingers were creaky. His nails were black. His face was nothing but creases from his youth when he used to laugh and smile all the time and from his old age cringing.
He looked around, and it was dark all around.
Afar, he saw a lone light. His stomach grumbled. Underneath all the layers of black, shit clothing that he was wearing was a saggy body with shitty bones. Well, he made his way to the light, to beg for food, of course, because he was hungry... you see?
It took him an hour to get there, and it got darker and scarier every second he traveled. He was sure he would not make it this time, and he was not sure that this light would be very welcoming.
Knock, knock, knock, at the light's door.
He propped himself against the door jamb, and took his flask out. He emptied it into his mouth.
Finally, the door opened, and there stood an extravagant looking man. He was tall, young and handsome, and strong, and his hair was perfect, and he looked brave like a lion. He was wearing a grand, fine robe of many deep colors, and he was holding two swords. He smiled at the beggar man.
"Well, look at you! What are you doing at my door?" He looked around outside and around the beggar man, "Are you alone? Well, look at you, won't you?" He sure was a happy looking man.
"Your light was on."
"Oh! Ok."
"Mister?"
"Yes?"
"Were you awake today during the day? Were you around town?"
"Oh, no. Not me. I was asleep. Not today. I slept all through today, and just woke up when you did, at nighttime. It's a dark night ain't it? I like it." He shivered, "So, how can I help you beggar man?"
"There weren't any silver linings in the clouds earlier today during the day."
The grand man looked at the beggar man in the face, and he put his right hand up to his closed mouth, as if he were studying his face. He had a serious countenance now. "Well, look at you beggar man, won't you? How can I help you?"
"I'm hungry."
"I see," he repeated a couple times and thought some more, "no silver lining in the clouds today huh?"
"None."
"What do you think that meant?"
"That there was nothing good to be found. That it was just a gray, unforgiving world, where you can't find nothing good nowhere. Not even in all the shit we live in, can we find a glimmer of hope. That everything is always going to be shit, and nothing is ever going to change, is what I think it meant."
"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, that may be so, that may be so," the grand man mused for a while, and then, "Hah! Well ok! Who knows, right?" He had alighted again. He was bright and cheery again, "that's very interesting. Who knows, right? Maybe that is so! But, look at you, won't you? For now, why don't you come in and eat? You said you're hungry did you not? So, what are you waiting for? You even look like you're hurting! I have a whole mess hall of food that I just made with my butler and my cook! We're just hanging out! We'll talk about all that shit you just said! You must be a philosopher or something, you crazy fucking beggar man!" The man was yelling at this point.
"Thank you."
Well, the beggar man went in and ate a whole mess of fucking food, and he was full.
And then he let go. He began to cry and sob hard, and the tears came flowing out like the rivers of the Ganges. He reeled back as if he was hit, until his back hit a wall, and then he felt along until the wall led him to the nearest alleyway; he crept in and slid down against the wall. He cried and cried.
He slid over to his side, huddled up in the fetal position and cried some more, until he fell asleep.
He woke up, as it was raining, very windy, and had become nighttime. He was soaked. It was freezing.
He struggled to his feet, felt around his big empty pockets for his flask, until he found it. It had been a dreamless sleep. He took a small swig and began to cry again. He made his way to the main street, which was empty. He was a weak beggar man. His back hurt. His fingers were creaky. His nails were black. His face was nothing but creases from his youth when he used to laugh and smile all the time and from his old age cringing.He looked around, and it was dark all around.
Afar, he saw a lone light. His stomach grumbled. Underneath all the layers of black, shit clothing that he was wearing was a saggy body with shitty bones. Well, he made his way to the light, to beg for food, of course, because he was hungry... you see?
It took him an hour to get there, and it got darker and scarier every second he traveled. He was sure he would not make it this time, and he was not sure that this light would be very welcoming.
Knock, knock, knock, at the light's door.
He propped himself against the door jamb, and took his flask out. He emptied it into his mouth.
"Well, look at you! What are you doing at my door?" He looked around outside and around the beggar man, "Are you alone? Well, look at you, won't you?" He sure was a happy looking man.
"Your light was on."
"Oh! Ok."
"Mister?"
"Yes?"
"Were you awake today during the day? Were you around town?"
"Oh, no. Not me. I was asleep. Not today. I slept all through today, and just woke up when you did, at nighttime. It's a dark night ain't it? I like it." He shivered, "So, how can I help you beggar man?"
"There weren't any silver linings in the clouds earlier today during the day."
The grand man looked at the beggar man in the face, and he put his right hand up to his closed mouth, as if he were studying his face. He had a serious countenance now. "Well, look at you beggar man, won't you? How can I help you?"
"I'm hungry."
"I see," he repeated a couple times and thought some more, "no silver lining in the clouds today huh?"
"None."
"What do you think that meant?"
"That there was nothing good to be found. That it was just a gray, unforgiving world, where you can't find nothing good nowhere. Not even in all the shit we live in, can we find a glimmer of hope. That everything is always going to be shit, and nothing is ever going to change, is what I think it meant."
"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, that may be so, that may be so," the grand man mused for a while, and then, "Hah! Well ok! Who knows, right?" He had alighted again. He was bright and cheery again, "that's very interesting. Who knows, right? Maybe that is so! But, look at you, won't you? For now, why don't you come in and eat? You said you're hungry did you not? So, what are you waiting for? You even look like you're hurting! I have a whole mess hall of food that I just made with my butler and my cook! We're just hanging out! We'll talk about all that shit you just said! You must be a philosopher or something, you crazy fucking beggar man!" The man was yelling at this point.
"Thank you."
Well, the beggar man went in and ate a whole mess of fucking food, and he was full.
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