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The Wall
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Bern's Prose. - The Wall.
- Every day on my way to work I passed by this wall. The wall was for me a temptation. Most of my young life I had climbed trees. A tree was a must for me. I just had to climb right up to the top. No matter how much the wind played with the leaves and branches nothing interfered with my being the Captain of the ship, high up on the bridge of my make believe ship. Orders I shouted to my make believe crew. I kept every man jack of them on their toes. No slackness not on my ship no matter how hard the wind blew.
- This wall more or less upset me every morning except on Sundays. Sundays the Church was situated in the other direction. I did not see that now stupid wall as I had come to call it. Whether the weather had decided to help me in my wish to climb this stupid wall I do not know but I noticed that the cement joints were breaking out from the wall. Now I tried when no one was about to climb the wall every week I climbed a little higher and higher. One day I found myself sitting astraddle on top of the stupid wall.
- My youth came back to me and I started to get my crew back into some semblance of order. My words to my crew were sharp, precise, I wanted no one to fall overboard the sea below looked very hard to my eyes. Slowly a small crowd gathered below my stupid wall. When I shouted my orders to the crew some even started to applaud as if I was on some stage. Did the idiots not know that they are up to their necks in salt water. Then came a thought. Would I be blamed it they all drowned. What would be the punishment for a couple of dozen deaths.
- Then it happeneda fire engine appeared making that horrible noise that made me shout even louder to my crew. Then they came for me . A ladder as high as my mast appeared beside me these land rats wanted to help me the Captain down from my bridge. I must admit they were to many for me and I allowed myself to be led down from my bridge. Another noise of what sounded like Ta , Ta, Ta, Ta, and we sped so fast through the town. What on earth are they doing. I am in some hospital room a man in a white coat is asking me all sorts of daft questions. I am Captain of the good ship Wall. What business was it of theirs how long I have been a Captain. I will answer no more of their stupid questions. Looking out of the window I saw that a high wall surrounded where ever it was that we are now in, it will be my new command. I will soon get a new crew together. There is something in my voice that makes men listen when I bark out my commands.How do I tell these land lubbers that I have had my breakfast those silly little pills will not fill a grown mans stomach. The midday meal had better be something more substantial than a few paltry tablets.
