The Eyes Have It

About twenty years ago I wrote a short story comprised of homonyms. That is, I packed it as densely as possible with words that sound like other words, about one-third of the 600 word story. If someone were to read it aloud to you, you'd not notice a thing. It was fun to create as well as to share. Eventually I sold the story, How Eye One the Wore, to Games Magazine for a modest check and a measure of gratification.

This incident came to mind when I read a very short entertainment by Philip K. Dick this week. I've been reading a collection of his early short stories and this one deals with the manner in which many of our metaphorical expressions become comical when taken literally. In football an announcer might say "Aaron Rodgers threw a bomb" and every fan knows he did not literally throw a bomb. What happens when people take these words literally? Hail Marys and chip shots are not what you'd expect. Why do announcers talk about the Red Zone when the grass is green all over the playing field?

All this to say I think you might enjoy P.K. Dick's very short story, The Eyes Have It.

Meantime, life goes on all around you, eh?