Poor Mojo's Almanac(k) Classics (2000-2011)
| HOME | FICTION | POETRY | SQUID | RANTS | archive | masthead |
Fiction #97
(published August 29, 2002)
On Parables
by Franz Kafka (with brief commentary by syndicated advice columnist the Giant Squid and Rob, his lab assistant)

Many complain that the words of the wise are always merely parables and of no use in daily life, which is the only life we have. When the sage says: "Go over," he does not mean that we should cross to some actual place, which we could do anyhow if the labor were worth it; he means some fabulous yonder, something unknown to us, something that he cannot designate more precisely either, and therefore cannot help us here in the very least. All these parables really set out to say merely that the incomprehensible is incomprehensible, and we know that already. But the cares we have to struggle with every day: that is a different matter.

Concerning this a man once said: Why such reluctance? If you only followed the parables you yourselves would become parables and with that rid of your daily cares.

Another said: I bet that is also a parable.

The first said: You have won.

The second said: But unfortunately only in parable.

The first said: No, in reality: in parable you have lost.


GS: "Quite sublime. I heartily congratulate the Desert-dwelling Kafka on his wordsmanship and thought-wrangling."

ROB: "Dude, that is like the stupidest fucking story I ever read."

GS: "Ah, yes, it is indeed stupid-fucking, but only in parable, eh Rob?"

ROB: "No, dude, it was just fucking lame."

Share on Facebook
Tweet about this Piece

see other pieces by this author

Poor Mojo's Tip Jar:

The Next Fiction piece (from Issue #98):

A.D. 755 From the 1823 translation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
by James Henry Ingram


The Last few Fiction pieces (from Issues #96 thru #92):

Tart, part 4 of 4
by Roy Johnson

Tart, part 3 of 4
by Roy Johnson

Tart, part 2 of 4
by Roy Johnson

Tart, part 1 of 4
by Roy Johnson

The Love Letters of Jack Warren and Devon March, part 6
gathered by Riley Hoffman and Morgan Johnson


Fiction Archives

Contact Us

Copyright (c) 2000, 2004, David Erik Nelson, Fritz Swanson, Morgan Johnson

More Copyright Info