It’s been a while since we had a fun challenge. So lets see how this goes. This week, you only need write ONE sentence. BUT… it has to be the most complex sentence you can possibly make. Maybe that means fancy pants grammar, or enormous words, however you do it. It’s got to be THE most complicated sentence you can possibly make. Oh and it needs to actually make sense!
Here’s mine:
Ok, I’m cheating! I didn’t come up with this sentence myself, but its still pretty cool.
“Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo”
This is grammatically correct sentence according to wiki, you can read more about it here. But essentially this sentence means: “Bison from Buffalo, which bison from Buffalo bully, themselves bully bison from Buffalo.”
***
Now to last week’s writespiration, Death Row.
Geoffle properly out did himself this week. I tell you, if your emotional, maybe don’t read this one, it will rip your heart out and stamp all over it! (In a good way… I think, despite the tragic story!)
Marje McCrae made tea. Gordon McCrae held open the living room door allowing Marje to carry the tray to the footstool and put it down. Marje fiddled with the best cups – she liked the handles to point away from the drinker so they had to turn the cup round. That little twist and the subsequent small rippling ‘brought out the flavour’ she said.
Gordon opened the green baize-covered card table that had belonged to Great Grandma O’Connor and placed the square brown clock (Auntie Phyllis had given it to them for a wedding present) in the centre. ‘Me and the clock’ Gordon joked, ‘Always on time.’ For the first time since he had wound it up in October 1979 he opened the back and turned the hour hand ahead by six hours.
The clock now showed ten minutes to seven. Outside in Gallashields, no one stirred at such a late hour. Gordon took his seat. He couldn’t look at the clock but he counted each tick in his head while staring at the black house phone that sat on the side table.
At one minute to seven, Marje leant forward. Gordon put a hand on her cardigan sleeve. ‘Nay, another minute, love.’ He could feel Marje trembling under his fingers but he could neither do nor say anything that might stem the shakes.
At a few seconds after seven, the clock on the tower of St Mark’s Kirk struck one and Gordon removed his hand. Methodically Marje went through her routine for pouring the tea. Gordon pulled the little wash bag onto his lap and opened it. Careful not to drop any, he counted out the pills. He reached forward and placed one set on Marje’s saucer.
For the first time since the representative of the Foreign Office had confirmed there would be no reprieve Marje’s gaze met Gordon’s pale blue eyes. Somewhere, thousands of miles away, in dirt and squalor one life was about to end. She nodded. Two other innocent victims held each other’s hand and with a studied care that had framed their lives they joined their son.
***
Next up, the extraordinary Jane, who equally picks up your stomped on heart from Geoffle, and lights a match to burn the remains. If you’re not already, then you are about to be a broken, sobbing mess. Again, a stunning piece of seriously emotive writing.
“No,” I say. “No blindfold. I want his last sight to be the eyes of his victim’s mother. Let him take that to hell.”
I watch from behind the glass screen. Close. I see the terror in his eyes and I gloat.
That’s how she felt, you filthy piece of shit. That’s how my baby felt at the end.
He reads the thoughts in my eyes. He sees the hatred I feel and he knows that if this piece of glass wasn’t between us I’d rip his heart out with my bare hands. The executioner looks at me. I turn to the abject, quivering scum in the chair, and I grin. I let him know.
This is your last moment, bastard. Fry!
His eyes open wide. He pisses himself. The executioner pulls the switch.
I watch it all, never taking my eyes off him, never letting him remove his petrified gaze from mine. I watch every twitch and convulsion, savouring ever spasm, hoping it hurts. Hoping it goddam hurts so much!
I watch until the end, and he slumps to one side, his glazed eyes still fixed on mine. Only then, in the silence of expiation, do I see the woman on the other side of the room, sobbing. A man, her father maybe, holds her shoulders while she weeps. Only then do I see the image in the dead eyes—the woman and the two children—not me, not my baby, but his. In that instant I feel no sense of satisfaction, no savage joy in watching a just killing. Emptiness fills the space where love used to be, my future that was in watching her grow is dead, shrivelled.
I want to go to the weeping woman and share her tears, but the man hurries her away, back to her children—children with no father, me with no child. Is the balance restored? Will the blackbird ever sing for me again? One broken family goes back to try and put the pieces together. I go back to the hollow sky and the sound of a dead child’s laughter.
***
Ali Isaac says
They are both brilliant! Love them both! Well done, guys!
Jane Dougherty says
Thanks, all of you 🙂
TanGental says
Yes I echo Jane. Thanks
Norah says
I’m afraid the Buffalo story is too complex for me!
Both Geoff’s and Jane’s stories are very sad and emotive. I found Jane’s story is very challenging. Nice to see the empathy there and the hollowness portrayed in her last sentence. So dismal.
Jane Dougherty says
Thank you, Norah. I’ll take dismal as a compliment 🙂
Norah says
It was certainly meant that way. Seems you achieved what you set out to do. 🙂
Jane Dougherty says
I wasn’t sure how I felt when I set out. Just tried to put myself in the place of the mother and all her different emotions. My heart goes out to all the victims in these tragedies.
Norah says
Definitely. 🙂
Sacha Black says
Thanks Norah – bit late responding this time, they were wonderful stories weren’t they 😀
Mick Canning says
Two very powerful pieces.
Sacha Black says
Thanks Mick 😀
kimwrtr says
Reblogged this on Kim's Author Support Blog.
Sacha Black says
Thanks so much for the reblog 🙂
D. Wallace Peach says
Great stories, Sacha. And the “buffalo” sentence? I didn’t even try to sort that one out. My brain ran to the kitchen for another cup of coffee. Yikes. Ha ha.
Sacha Black says
hahahaha I know right, I tried to work it out too and ended up giving up!
Let's CUT the Crap! says
Wow. Both stories are heart-clutching and both moved me. Can’t shake either off.
Fabulous reading though. <3 <3
Sacha Black says
Thanks so much glad you enjoyed them .
Let's CUT the Crap! says
Indeed, I d.i.d. 🙂
Sarah Brentyn says
Gotta love Wiki. Three different meanings. Cleva.
So, the stories. Ouch, my heart. Those are both so good. <3
Sacha Black says
haha, awesome wasn’t it! I was all like :OOOOO when I found it!
Ali Isaac says
So the buffalo thing? Beyond me. I don’t know if this fits the bill of a complex sentence… perhaps its more a contender for the longest sentence, lol! Anyway, here goes…
I didn’t mean to hurt her; it’s just that I couldn’t imagine how anything I had to say or do would be of any help to anyone, so of course, I immediately said “No,” and, in so doing, that one small word was enough to destroy all her carefully tended hopes and dreams.
Sacha Black says
oooooh, awesome, lengthy, complex sentence, thanks Ali 🙂 <3
macjam47 says
Sacha, I looked at the buffalo sentence, and one word came to mind. “Whatever”. Nope, didn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t sort it out.
Tough week for me. I shouldn’t have read wither of the other two with the anniversary of my son’s death just two days away. They were great pieces of writing, but the subjects just too hard to handle right now.
Sacha Black says
Hi Michelle, I am sorry its taken me such a long time to respond, I am sorry for the awful timing, I hope you are feeling better this week, I had no idea about your son. <3
macjam47 says
Thank you, Sacha. Even though it’s been 11 years now, I don’t think a parent ever gets over losing a child, no matter what age. You kind words are very comforting.
Sacha Black says
I’m sure they don’t. I can’t even imagine what that must have been like for you. Just know you are in my thoughts ? x
macjam47 says
<3 🙂 <3
TanGental says
Conjugating Grammar
If A is a gerundive exclamation and B is a homonymical verbosity where the root of B is a function of the indicative modal verb, then using as an example CD from the participle conjunction, can you extrapolate the subjunctive relative pronoun to prove that this sentence is complex?
Sacha Black says
? you are the master I have no idea what this says… And in English please?!
TanGental says
It’s nonsense. I took a mathematical construct and replaced the usual terminology with grammatical expressions and a few random words like verbosity. Did it have to make sense or just be complex?
Sacha Black says
Erm, well I think it was meant to make sense! Like the buffalo one! But I like it the way it is!! Plus it’s properly complicated! U should have made up an explanation I would have believe it and thought u were proper brainy! ??
TanGental says
No I’m just a veneer of smart-arsery.
kim881 says
I nominate you for the Blogger Recognition Award and One Lovely Blog Award. You have given me some great ideas!
Sacha Black says
Thanks so much thats so kind of you 🙂
kim881 says
You’re more than welcome, Sacha.
Sacha Black says
Thanks so much sally, sorry I am extraordinarily late in my thanks this time, but I am very grateful for the reblog 🙂
Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life. says
Don’t thing anything about it Sacha.. life comes first. hugs
Sacha Black says
Thanks Sally how are your plans for moving going?
Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life. says
The house is for sale Sacha and we are with a couple of agents as well as our own website..I am using Social Media without spamming and hopefully there will be some person who will go.. yes..want that. It is in my menu and if you have any connections who might be looking please pass it on.. hugs