Smashed like a bowl of eggs

A phrase in a sea shack by Canadian singer Stan Rogers is: “Barrett was crushed like a bowl of eggs.” That statement is hard to ignore and is a testament to writers like Stan, who learned to make his words sing. This is another of my favorites, an article written by Pete McBride:

“Crouching in a boat, falling into one of the most historic rapids in the largest canyon in the world, I am amazed at what I hear. The crashing of the water echoes off the granite walls around me, but so do much more noises. The little ones: the creak of the ship’s wooden hull, the screech of the oars, the call of a nearby wren. Maybe the adrenaline rushing through my veins has sharpened my senses, or maybe it’s sleeping on the banks of the Colorado River under a silent spray of stars. “

I think everyone who takes the time to compose and write a story wants to tell it in a compelling way. But, when you start to hone your art as a writer, you may disappoint yourself, and if others read your writing, they may disappoint you even more! Without a doubt, an advantage accumulates for those born with the talent to write. All others must acquire the skill through perseverance and attention to detail.

First of all, a writer must get the attention of a reader. An unusual, revealing, or colorful photograph can be the bait a writer needs to attract readers to his article. But, once attracted, the reader must test the written words and find them irresistible, or the reader will read no more and move on. Smashed is a great word and is rarely used to describe something that has been misconfigured to the point of being irreparable. To say more, like a bowl of eggs, it suggests that the way Barrett was crushed was like the crunch of a brittle eggshell, and that a bowl of crushed eggs, when crushed, is a disgusting jumble of guts. Stan applied that image to the captain of a sloop that had been hit by a cannonball. The description forced me to find out what else happened.