The Seer

The seer looks into the future.

The Seer

Few have the gift, or perhaps it should be called the curse, of the seer, that rare and gifted individual with the ability to peer fearfully into the future. In days past the seer may have ended his or her days being burnt at the stake but in present days the seer's worst fate is to be regarded as a harmless eccentric.

John sat alone by the upstairs window of the old cottage. A passerby glancing up and seeing him sitting motionless might well think that he was dosing in his comfortable old armchair. In truth, John’s mind was soaring unfettered through time to come and events still to pass. He was looking at the sycamores lining the right side of his garden. They blazed in full autumnal glory but he knew that within days the leaves would tumble dead to carpet the ground. It was the way of the world he thought - within all life there is the certainty of death. Of all earthly creatures only man had the self awareness to contemplate his own certain demise.

As John sat there, something strange happened to his thoughts. From his reverie, induced by the falling autumn leaves, his thoughts burst out of normal bounds of time and space as happens when a multitude of starlings form a mesmerising murmuration. John had experienced this strange feeling several times before. It felt like a great calmness had enveloped him as oil calms the wildest sea. With all the 'noise' of normal thought banished, his mind now acted like a great searchlight, focussing on events still to unravel. 

John's first vision of the future was of the greatest city in the world. Within his dream John walked down the finest street within the city but there was not a soul to be seen. Cars and taxis lay rusting, shop doors swung open with their contents strewn across the sidewalks.

The focus of John's vision moved to the great southern continent. In his mind's eye, as clear as crystal, John stood on a ridge of bare rock where recently ten thousand feet of ice had towered high above.

John's roving vision next took him to the great city of London. In place of the familiar palaces, museums and parliaments, John could see that the city had been drowned by a great flood. Only the tallest buildings showed above the waves. Of life there was no sign.

Now, John's view changed and he was standing at the edge of a great mid-western plain which had been one of the great breadbaskets of the earth. The pitiless sun baked his body as John looked around the arid land straining his eyes for any growth.

Next, in horror, John looked from a nearby mountain at one of the great cities of the west. He could see that the city had been laid waste in a nuclear cataclysm. The great buildings lay in ruins and great craters littered the dead city.

Now, John's vision took him to a place that had been deep within the Amazon rainforest. John looked around in puzzlement for in place of the trees he now stood in the centre of a great desert.

Finally, John found himself within the tropical ocean which had teemed with the myriad creatures of the coral reef. The reef now lay smashed and devoid of all life.

Gradually John came to himself and he looked out the window. The leaves continued to fall from the tree and carpet the ground. John shed a tear as he thought about the folly of mankind. Unlike a normal dream that fades, his visions remained clear in his mind's eye. What should he do? There was only one answer - nothing. He knew that many wise voices had warned of man's folly but had achieved not a jot.

Most evenings John could be seen by passersby sitting at the upstairs window of his cottage. They might have thought the old man was of dreaming of things past but John's dreams were of things to come.

John opened his eyes and seeing a group of his friends waving up to him he waved back to them and thought -

eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you shall ……

Reviews

[S.zaynab.kamoonpury]

Woah an awesome essay of doom gloom futuristic, of a world gone empty due to armageddon and destroyed by man's rapacious polution waysand selfish behaviours.
It foresees very possible eventual happenings indeed as like you said most people talk and do nothing much to help the earth . Your writing js very eloquent and creatively expressed. I have an unposted poem on bird murmaration so i liked how you used that in allegory. Kudos!

Plz also check out my two newest poems and then pleez comment on one of these two poems that you prefer. Thanks

[alanwgraham]

Many thanks Zainab for reading this story and your kind review. I know it is a serious topic but one we must address.
All the best,
Alan

[Samuel Dickens]

You just took me on a trip--a trip that has left me frustrated, fearful, and breathless. What a butt-kicker! I feel like John in the window--privy to the horrors to come, while passersby smile and wave in blissful ignorance. The clues are all around--why won't they see it? I don't say I love a piece of writing very often, (almost never) but I truly do love this one.

[Neville]

I just knew, as soon as I caught sight of the title, this would be one to keep an eye on .. What I really couldn't foresee however, was the twists, dips and turns that you have so deftly incorporated throughout .. I am not disappointed or surprised though, since you are without a shadow of doubt, the master of this game Alan .. Neville :)

[alanwgraham]

Wow! You are too kind Neville, thanks for reading and your great review. To be honest I was a little worried that this peek into the future might be a little too obvious. Perhaps I wrongly assumed that everyone knew what a seer was.
Thanks again,
All the best,
Alan

[Brad Dehler]

A real dystopian viewpoint. A departure from the "Report" you (or some CIA, FBI agent) submitted on AWG.

[Betty Hermelee]

I loved how John the seer, completely changed his outlook from beginning to end. First he was most inspired to leave the present day and see into the future, while the street folks looked at him with wonder. But what he saw in the future was not to his liking so he decided to live his life in the present and join the street folks who were living in the present. Now he is a contented man.
Loved the story Alan.
Best
B.

[alanwgraham]

Many thanks Betty for reading this and your kind review. I really liked your positive take on the story. Perhaps we should all accentuate the positive!
I hope all is well with you.
Best wishes,
Alan

[Betty Hermelee]

You’re very welcome Alan, a treat to read!
Best
B.

[Perry]

I liked the story. Of course, I'm a sucker for anything with an apocalyptic twist. It made me think of a not so well known book by Mary Shelly "The Last Man." Kind of like changing season--but not in a good way! Sure, there's room for improvement. One trick I use often is going through the text searching glue words. Here's a link explaining. https://readable.com/blog/what-are-glue-words-and-how-do-they-affect-readability/ Keep up the good work!

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Perry for your review and your advice. I've had a look at the article and it make a lot of sense. I've gone through my story with a glue detector and slimmed it down.
Thanks again for your positive feedback
Cheers,
Alan