Oneupmanship

I find those who excuse thoughtless speech
by saying 'It was only a joke!',
or 'I was only saying!!' to be very odd.
What such comments seem to mean
is that 'It is only a punchline'
and the 'only' is meant to reduce
the sense of offence caused.
What such people are really saying
is 'You will be my verbal punchbag',
and 'You look better for receiving my insults
than I would; I'm too thin skinned'.
These 'humourists' seem to need a straight man
so much, to sharpen their one-up-man-ship.
The very least they should do is find one
who is genuine and willing whom they respect.   

On 'Hate Figures'

We all have them, people
-mostly public figures-who's
every word and action we loathe.
We can be hate figures for others too,
and all without us ever realizing it.
But think on this; emetics will produce bile
-that is their function. And human emetics
exist to help us understand our hatreds better
and help us be less laden with bile, more phlegmatic.   

Brexit-The Metaphor

Because nation states can flush themselves into history, all too easily,
 if they try too hard to relive pasts glories that are faded, and rotten even. 

Three Positive Measures

for the utility and civility of any given society.

1-loners and oddballs should be able
to find the physical space to live in
where they can be themselves,
meet their needs on their own terms,
and not feel threatened, or harassed.

2-both a good dental service and national diet,
the better to stop the rot of  everyone's teeth
due to poor oral hygiene and malnutrition.

3-leaders of the country accept the mistrust
of the population because it is based on wisdom,
not cynicism, the grander the leaders plans
the greater their temptation to to folly.

How many countries do you know that combine all three?
The smaller the population and land mass to be governed,
the more likely these conditions are to be met
though natural melancholia may be the result.   

How 'The Fall' Actually Happened

Eve was at her ease in the garden.
Mistaking her rest for boredom,
the snake quietly whispered to her
'Cheer up, Love. It may never happen'.
and in that very instance 'it' did.
Her curiosity was piqued,
she wanted to know what 'it' meant.
Adam wanted to be obedient
and so he avoided all her questions.
Being made in the image of God,
there was never anything he might ask
to which he did not already know the answer.

Eventually God-who was plural, infinite,
and unified had to act. Because He knew all,
and was in all had to stop her curiosity.
He gave Adam and Eve notice to leave,
to settle their, and their descendants,
curiosities for themselves.

Since then we can only look back
at a state we can never return to.

In The Realm Of The Senses (1)

McDonalds fries 5 mins after you buy them:

These are great! Salty, tasty, hot, so good!

McDonalds fries 7 mins after you buy them: 

If I just eat enough of them at once 

their collective residual warmth makes them just about okay.

McDonalds fries 8 mins after you buy them: 

They taste like cold salt flavoured cardboard.

Why is it midnight? And why did I buy them?

Laguepie, Chestnut Fair

was where I was last weekend. It was fun.
There were crowds gently surging past stalls
where chestnuts and pumpkins. Other vegetables,
were sold too, still with the dirt from the ground
they were dug from on them. The live brass band,
drew admiration, as did the fresh bread, pottery,
jewelry and wicker work stalls. The apple press
with the handle for turning was most impressive.

The crowds moved slowly enough around the stalls
that dogs were free to walk without being lead around
by their owners. No child seemed threatened or lost.

Alas nearly none of my photos came out the way I hoped.
how I wanted, but taking them in hope was enough at the time.
Finally, drinking my morning coffee from a new bowl
which was a work of art that astonished me, given it's price,
will be my chief reward until I go the next time.

Bon Appetit, until next year....   Photo credit; Anthony Weir.