{"id":748,"date":"2015-01-21T10:38:59","date_gmt":"2015-01-21T17:38:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hoppinworld.com\/mydiary\/?p=748"},"modified":"2015-01-21T11:37:52","modified_gmt":"2015-01-21T18:37:52","slug":"a-man-dug-a-ditch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hoppinworld.com\/mydiary\/2015\/01\/21\/a-man-dug-a-ditch\/","title":{"rendered":"A man dug a ditch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note: “A man dug a ditch” is a short story by Joe Imwalle. It is the first reader-submitted piece of writing to be published on Hoppinworld.com, and hopefully not the last. Send your submissions to John@Hoppinworld.com. \u00a0Big thanks to Joe. \u00a0Enjoy.<\/em><\/p>\n

A man dug a ditch.
\nThe ditch ran the length of a building.
\nBeads of sweat fell from his brow as he dug.
\nHe hit a rock with his shovel.
\nThe rock was not a rock.
\nIt was the shell of an old turtle.
\nHe dug it up.
\nInside the shell was a small universe.
\nIt was stuck to the shell.
\nHe pushed his finger in it.
\nIt felt like moist cake.
\nHe scooped some out.
\nStars fell from the caked bits.
\nThey were wet and oily.
\nStar oil trailed down his wrist.
\nHe dug his whole hand into the shell.
\nHe pulled it back out.
\nHe squeezed the little known universe in his hand.
\nPlanets and more stars oozed out.
\nThey oozed out between his fingers.
\nHe opened his hand.
\nHe leaned in closer.
\nInside, he saw the remains of a densely populated area.
\nThey had built up so much in the name of progress.\u00a0 He could tell just by looking.\u00a0 At some point it had become obvious to everyone that the progress had progressed too far and was now wreaking havoc on their lives and spreading strife and misery to all corners of their world and beyond into their cosmos.
\nTheir suffering was over.
\nThe man told himself their suffering was now finally over.
\nHe dropped his shovel and flung the universe back in the ditch.\u00a0 He decided now was a good time for a nice long lunch break.\u00a0 His boss was gone for the day scoping a new construction site.\u00a0 They’d only just broken ground two days ago.
\nYes, a real nice long lunch break and no one to bother him.<\/p>\n

Joe Imwalle, 2015<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note: “A man dug a ditch” is a short story by Joe Imwalle. It is the first reader-submitted piece of writing to be published on Hoppinworld.com, and hopefully not the last. Send your submissions to John@Hoppinworld.com. \u00a0Big thanks to Joe. \u00a0Enjoy. A man dug a ditch. The ditch ran the length of a building. … <\/p>\n

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