Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Humankind cannot stand very much reality. T. S. Eliot

I passed a hazy, hormonal day at the Ministry today. Although my mind was present and I completed all the duties I had been allotted for the day, my emotional self was out and running free through the labyrinthine corridors at the back of my mind. This makes me very scatty, unable to make decisions and highly emotional. I had to keep nipping out to the loos to cry, and ten minutes later, laughing hysterically. In an ideal world, days like this would be passed in bed while handsome men brought you chocolates and tangerines. Fact.

Lunch with the lovely Shonagh placed a pleasant centrepoint to my day and reminded me that whilst I am a long way from normal, that's exactly why the people close to me love me.

The NSN's have gone rather quiet. Actually, they've gone completely silent. This has started to worry me. Firstly because they might have completely exerted themselves the other night and have done themselves harm. Maybe they completely dehydrated themselves and their dried out husks are lying empty and undiscovered on the floor. More likely though, is my worry that I've been so loudly describing to everyone their noisy sex exploits that now they daren't even ask each other to pass the salt. They've probably taken up sign language. Either way, I can never, never see them again.

The talk of poetry in yesterday's comments made me want to post this unusual one, from the Poetry 180 website (for info, the poetry website Mark mentions, which will also send you a poem every day if you want to subscribe to their emailing list, is Poetry Chaikhana, here).

Did I Miss Anything?
Tom Wayman

Nothing. When we realized you weren’t here
we sat with our hands folded on our desks
in silence, for the full two hours

Everything. I gave an exam worth
40 percent of the grade for this term
and assigned some reading due today
on which I’m about to hand out a quiz
worth 50 percent

Nothing. None of the content of this course
has value or meaning
Take as many days off as you like:
any activities we undertake as a class
I assure you will not matter either to you or me
and are without purpose

Everything. A few minutes after we began last time
a shaft of light suddenly descended and an angel
or other heavenly being appeared
and revealed to us what each woman or man must do
to attain divine wisdom in this life and
the hereafter
This is the last time the class will meet
before we disperse to bring the good news to all people
on earth.

Nothing. When you are not present
how could something significant occur?

Everything. Contained in this classroom
is a microcosm of human experience
assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
This is not the only place such an opportunity has been
gathered

but it was one place

And you weren’t here

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Lunch with you was fandabeedozy mon petit ginger buddy.....love you.

S. xxx