Personal Blogs
Since he can
Make you think it's a trick
When really it's magic.
This is a very free reworking of "O poeta é um fingidor", by Pessoa, but I hope a worthy one.
The remarkable Portuguese poet Pessoa wrote under fourscore and ten different personas. This is one he wrote as himself.
Mi Madre always used to say
"Change your shirt!" And I'd reply "Por que?"
"Because!" So each time I gave way.
Another qué, another collar.
Adolph Hitler was a keen cyclist but he had a thing about twos. When he bought his second bicycle, he insisted it was the third trike.
I knew this bloke whose job was flying highjacked aircraft, especially ones stuffed with Carribean treasure chests. He was an airline pirate.
"I'd rather chew my own arm off" he said. I was like, hmm, that's not exactly evidence-based.
"I didn't notice we'd be sleeping under canvas", said Tom inattentively.
I'm off on a booze cruise. It's organised by Pinot.
A friend has just launched a Bittern Sanctuary. He tells me business is booming.
Tonight walking home (we both were) I saw a hedgehog.
Once I saw these these little animals every night in summer but now they seem uncommon and I mourn.
Passing a grassy bank – I heard a familiar rustle. I froze; waited; and sure enough a hedgehog emerged; snuffled its way on a circuit (pausing to eat a morsel at one point); then scrambled back up the bank and away.
As Julius climbed the steps to the Forum,
Some guys that were there before him,
Killed him before he saw 'em.
He was the New Broom;
We were the Dirt.
Brushed away. Which hurt.
And the Room
Once swept: its Floor
Was then no cleaner than before.
Do not kiss
This is what sharded
My heart
And more
When we kissed before.
If so, is this a rule?
All the kids loved the new teacher. Except Moll.
She was sticking pins in a doll.
On Moonlight Lane I paused one night
To hear the church bells ring.
And when they told me it was late
I hurried on again.
New born, I marvelled then anew.
Two hands, five fingers on each grew.
Why so many and so few?
"Plans?" He raised his eyebrows
Thrust his big head toward ours.
(Smiling again.) "Is this some kind of test?"
He said. "Just let us have the reins.
We'll do the rest.
You're in safe hands. It's best."
Fleece. Great jumpers.
Broom = Revving.
Carnation = Durn (Euph.).
Dahlia = More daily (or: More Dahly).
Knotweed = Negative answer to Peony.
Lupin = Keep informed.
Marguerite = A butter alternative.
Mint = Not unintended.
Orchid = Our kid (Also dialect: Any sibling).
Zephyranthes = Downsizing.
I heard the swifts.
They were tiny,
Crossing the summer moon.
Was a seldom heard singer.
Even when he tried
People thought their cat had died.
She asked me to take a look at her computer. I said, "There's no point. I know what they look like".
A thousand lies, a million tears.
A hundred years from now, who cares?
Collected less than an hour ago and still fresh
A. Are you alright?
B. I'm alright. It's them others!
(pause)
A. Whose mothers?
According to The Times (p.12, 13 July 2016)
"Drinking a large glass of water with a meal tricks the brain into thinking you are full, researchers say."
The article does go on to elaborate what the 19 people in the study consumed: 50 ml or water, or 350 ml. Those that drank the greater amount felt fuller.
I don't have any difficulty in believing the findings, even though it was not a proper double-blind trial. (The subjects at least must have an idea how much they drank, even if the researchers didn't.) My own self-experiments, using beer rather than water, strongly confirm the results of the study and suggest it is a repeatable effect, although lacking the surprise factor somewhat.
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