TICK-TOCK

‘Tick-tock, tick-tock,’ went the clock.

‘Time’s up! Time’s up!’ cried the People.

‘No more! No more!’ chanted the Poor.

Save me! Save me!’ weeped the Earth.

‘Me Too! Me Too!’ screamed the Victims.

Louder and louder the voices grew.

Higher and higher the echos reached.

Some of the Powerful fell on the sword of justice.

Some fell in the court of public opinion.

Most carried on. Making things Great.

And the Oppressed worked longer, for less.

The People survived as best they could.

Divisions grew. Polarity won over compromise.

While the clock carried on regardless.

Until it was the only sound left.

‘Tick-tock, tick-tock.’

Written as part of the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).

To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.

117 responses to “TICK-TOCK”

neilmacdon

12/09/2018

A fable for our times. Iain. When is time up?

LikeLiked by 3 people

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  The clock knows, but its not telling.
  
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jillyfunnell

12/09/2018

Just brilliant! “Me too” screamed the victims. Clever. Excellent.

LikeLiked by 2 people

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you so much Jilly, very kind.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
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rochellewisoff

12/09/2018

Dear Ian,

I keep hearing, “time keeps on slipping, slipping, into the future…” Well written and thought provoking.

Shalom,

Rochelle

LikeLiked by 5 people

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you Rochelle, the constant march of time no matter what else is happening is both comforting and scary.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
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2. Dale
  
  15/09/2018
  
  Thanks for the earworm, Rochelle!!
  
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Susan A Eames

12/09/2018

Great commentary of our times (‘scuse the pun). Loved this!

Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos

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Reply
1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you Susan 🙂
  
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Fabricating Fiction/Louise Jensen

12/09/2018

This is such food for thought. Well done Iain.

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you Louise 🙂
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply
robertawrites235681907

12/09/2018

This is an excellent poem, Iain. Well done.

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you so much Roberta, much appreciated.
  
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J Hardy Carroll

12/09/2018

Sad but true tale, Iain.

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you
  
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James

12/09/2018

Reminds me a little of the late Harlan Ellison’s award winning short story “Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman.

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thanks for the link James, not one I had heard of.
  
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joyroses13

12/09/2018

Ooooh well done! Nothing more needs said. Tick Tock!

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you Joy 🙂
  
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Abhijit Ray

12/09/2018

Time is the great leveller. Big people, be it King or leader, everyone is equal before time.

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Reply
1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Until someone cracks immortality.
  
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Sheena

12/09/2018

This is so ominous 😦

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Ominous times – what I was aiming for, thanks Sheena
  
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tidalscribe

12/09/2018

I love the last few lines.

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you so much
  
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pensitivity101

12/09/2018

Something very different from you today Iain. It works very well. 🙂

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you so much Di
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply
  1. pensitivity101
    
    12/09/2018
    
    🙂
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
scr4pl80

12/09/2018

Love this one. The clock is a wonderful piece of art too.

LikeLiked by 2 people

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1. Prior…
  
  12/09/2018
  
  I see art in it too – hand-carved gem
  
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2. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you Janet, glad you like it.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
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Alice Audrey

12/09/2018

Our future? I sure hope not.

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Our present certainly – how much longer have we got?
  
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trentpmcd

12/09/2018

Hey, I thought this was Friday -Fiction-eers, where is the fiction in this? 😉

LikeLiked by 2 people

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1. Prior…
  
  12/09/2018
  
  good one trent
  
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  Reply
2. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  A fair point!
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
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Sandra

12/09/2018

An acute observation of our times, loved it.

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you Sandra
  
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Prior…

12/09/2018

wonderful and sad – and such a flowing read with words that almost had a tick-tock banter the way your sentences were placed

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you, I was aiming for something like the tick-tock rhythm of the clock.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
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  1. Prior…
    
    13/09/2018
    
    🙂
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
gahlearner

12/09/2018

Brilliant, Iain. This is where we are. Where do we go? Time will tell.

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you. At the moment we still have a choice which way we go, but for how much longer before there is no turning back?
  
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pennygadd51

12/09/2018

I like the way this starts as a nursery rhyme and finishes as a nightmare. The problem is easy to diagnose – lust for power, and greed – but infernally difficult to solve. Tick-tock.

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you Penny
  
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  Reply
J.A. Prentice

12/09/2018

Wonderfully written and very, very timely!

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you, much appreciated.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply
Björn Rudberg (brudberg)

12/09/2018

I wonder how many who can hear the clock ticking…

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  If you listen carefully, you can hear it…
  
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magarisa

12/09/2018

Ingeniously written!

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  12/09/2018
  
  Thank you so much
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
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michael1148humphris

12/09/2018

The rhyme of this piece is like time itself,.

LikeLiked by 2 people

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  13/09/2018
  
  Thank you Michael, I was aiming for something like that.
  
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Alicia Jamtaas

13/09/2018

I love the format of this. So many voices, so little time. Well done, Iain.

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  13/09/2018
  
  Thank you Alicia
  
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Russell

13/09/2018

A powerful piece! Nicely done!

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  13/09/2018
  
  Thank you Russell
  
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anuragbakhshi

13/09/2018

Just WOW! Let’s just frame it and circulate to the leaders of our world already!

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  13/09/2018
  
  Would they take any notice? One can only hope…
  
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Anshu Bhojnagarwala

13/09/2018

Wow, so deep! You have surmised the situation of this world and humans since the time unknown pretty well … The time moves on regardless of what goes on…

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  13/09/2018
  
  Thank you Anshu, it is reassuring that time marches on without a care for what we do!
  
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draliman

13/09/2018

Very thought-provoking. I love the style you’ve used.

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  13/09/2018
  
  Thank you
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply
JS Brand

13/09/2018

Really good Iain and more proof of how versatile you are.

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  13/09/2018
  
  Thank you, too kind 🙂
  
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  1. JS Brand
    
    13/09/2018
    
    Just honest Iain!
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
Snow’s Fissures and Fractures

13/09/2018

Wow, this blew me away!

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  13/09/2018
  
  Thank you so much Lore, very kind.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
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Keith’s Ramblings

13/09/2018

A change of style this week Iain. I could say ‘about time’ but that would be a pun too far!

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  13/09/2018
  
  So many things are ‘about time’, in so many ways. Thanks Keith.
  
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Kalpana Solsi

13/09/2018

A thought provoking poem penned. The Earth weeps and screams, “Save me, save me”, but Man is deaf. and Earth rolls and throws a catastrophe in the face of Man.

https://ideasolsi65.blogspot.com/2018/09/uncertain.html

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  13/09/2018
  
  Thank you, we do seem to be heading towards some sort of disaster in many different ways!
  
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Laurie Bell

13/09/2018

Gosh well done
I certainly hear that tick tock
Time won’t stop and we are but a bleep

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  14/09/2018
  
  A very minor one too
  
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Natasha

14/09/2018

Can’t seem to put my fingers on to it, by why does this remind me of Pink Flyod’s, Division Bell. Love the cadence of this piece. And this hits the nail, and like how.

Good to be back on your blog after eons, Iain. 🙂

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  14/09/2018
  
  Thank you Natasha, always good to hear from you 🙂
  
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subroto

14/09/2018

Well crafted. Such a serious piece but I don’t know why but it reminded me of the time when I used to read stories to my children 🙂

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  14/09/2018
  
  It does have that little fairy tale feel to it, though serious adult subject matter! Thank you
  
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theministryofshrawleywalks

14/09/2018

the oppressed worked longer for less sounds painfully familiar.

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  14/09/2018
  
  Glad I’m not alone 🙂
  
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liz young

14/09/2018

That’s a very haunting take on the prompt.

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  15/09/2018
  
  Thanks Liz
  
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plaridel

14/09/2018

once again, a well-written piece that could only expected from you. 🙂

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  15/09/2018
  
  Too kind, thank you
  
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Dale

15/09/2018

Excellent take on this prompt, Iain. Definitely not a fiction, this.. 😉 Not that there is anything wrong with that!

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  15/09/2018
  
  No, more a comment on the news I’m afraid!
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
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Rowena

15/09/2018

Brilliant,Iain. I seem to be saying that a lot this week. So, either that clock made for a brilliant prompt or there’s something in the air.
Your poem reminds me of a difficult situation we currently have in Federal politics here in Australia. We have a former Prime Minister Tony Abbott who has stayed on in Federal Parliament and keeps biting at the heels of the new PM. He is also an extremely conservative person whose values are out of step not only with the Australian people, but even his own electorate. I(t really has reached a point where we want him gone but we the people can’t get rid of him.
Well, with pre-selection coming up for the next election, you would think he’d fail to get party endorsement at the branch level. Some local environmentalists even joined the local Liberal Party to vote against him. However, he stood unopposed although the disgruntled minority was noted. Oblivious to his opposition, Tony Abbott is determined to stay in public life and feels there’s still life in the old dog yet. It really stands to question just how democratic this country is. We’re clearly not alone either. I am not quite sure where my personal politics sits at the moment. Anarchy is looking attractive atm.
Best wishes,
Rowena
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/sep/15/tony-abbott-re-endorsed-as-liberal-candidate-for-warringah-despite-protest-vote

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  15/09/2018
  
  Thanks Rowena. We do get a bit of coverage of Australian politics over here, especially the latest PM change. In some ways it’s reassuring that Britain and America aren’t the only ones with politicians who seem incapable of doing their jobs properly. It does feel like there needs to be a clean sweep at the top before any decent amount of change will ever be achieved.
  
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  1. Rowena
    
    16/09/2018
    
    Yes, the federal politicians around the world are a real concern atm. I have started thinking more about getting more involved. I live in a swinging seat so my vote matters. However, these leadership spills have shown so much goes on behind the scenes at the branch level that it could well be important to be a part of it. I find our political parties hard to distinguish, which has made it difficult to choose and I don’t really have faith in either major party, although I think you really have to work within that system. I went to a disability meeting this morning hosted by our State member Liesl Tesch who is a Paralympic Gold medalist in sailing. She a real action woman and I am really behind her.
    Hope you’re having a great weekend. It’s warm and sunny here…a balmy Spring day.
    Best wishes,
    Rowena
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
Piyali

15/09/2018

Sad and true. The reality of our times. Nice poem.

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  15/09/2018
  
  Thank you
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
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Woman walking Max

15/09/2018

A powerfully expressed poem, I really liked the writing and the message. There’s hope in in it. Well done.

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  15/09/2018
  
  Thank you so much
  
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Brenda’s Thoughts

15/09/2018

I very much enjoyed your poetic prose. Excellently written. The content was a realistic commentary of the world today. There is no stopping time, but it’s what we do with it that matters.

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  15/09/2018
  
  Very true, although time will carry on regardless…
  
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Sascha Darlington

15/09/2018

Wow! This is the wake up call for our times. Well done, Iain!

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  15/09/2018
  
  Thank you Sascha
  
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JoHawkTheWriter

15/09/2018

I think you just described the Doomsday Clock. Great work Iain.

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  16/09/2018
  
  Thank you
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply
lisarey1990

16/09/2018

There is so much included in this piece about the times we live in. Really well crafted.

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  16/09/2018
  
  Thank you Lisa
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
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elappleby

16/09/2018

this was brilliant. loved the build up and the short choppy lines. One of my favourites this week.

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  16/09/2018
  
  Thank you, much appreciated 🙂
  
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Sarah Ann

16/09/2018

Great pacing and build of tension. A parable for our times. Time will keep on ticking regardless.

LikeLiked by 1 person

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  16/09/2018
  
  Thank you
  
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StuHN

16/09/2018

What will keep the clocks ticking when they need rewinding? then complete silence except for what nature provides.

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1. Iain Kelly
  
  16/09/2018
  
  That’s the even more depressing sequel to my tale this week!
  
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