Personal Blogs

I found a centipede in my bath

And tenderly preserved it

As proof that I am not alone.

I saw you waiting

Under the outside light.

You turned and smiled

I wish you hadn't.

Just as the sun dropped

At every hand

Thrushes sang.

The title is translated from an ancient Greek epitaph I once read: "Χερε", that is, "Be happy".

Please ask yourself this question before you read further.

On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 = not at all happy and 10 = completely happy, how happy were you yesterday?

Now you have answered please read on.

A French philosopher once memorably said, "When a man asks himself whether he is happy, he ceases to be so". This is perceptive but it's not a truth of human existence, more an observation that who, or what, asks you a question may influence − not just how you answer, but also what your answer is. This "framing" is the subject of a sketch from "Yes Minister".

However since 2012 the UK has being collecting statistics about whether people rate themselves as happy − as you did a minute or two ago. The Office for National Statistics publishes the results. Over a third of respondents rated their happiness as 9/10 or 10/10. Isn't that surprising? But knowing it made me feel a little happier.

George Sand bought Chopin a Fitbit.

But he never go to grips with it.

Not being at all sporty,

He stuck with the pianoforte.

Here's the prelude 'Raindrop' said to have been inspired by their (unhappy?) holiday together in Mallorca. I didn't know this piece, but heard it one day, and it made me listen to Chopin much more carefully. You can hear it too in this article

Download this video clip.Video player: File:Chopin Prelude Op 28 N 15 Giorgi Latsabidze performs.ogg

"Doctor, doctor I hate DIY!" 

"Well don't then!"

Usually a poem should stand alone and require no context.

However please consider this.

The writer had a young son who died.

This is her question.

The wind's breath,

That's the kindest kiss of all.

"The Obstacle is the Path"

The Observant see where the deer

Squeeze through the hedge.

You used to say

"Many would love you, given permission"

I'm still trying to

Find my way through.

There's a resistance movement against teaching formal grammar in schools. It's called "they shall not parse.”

Thank goodness I can still

See your eyes

Reflected in the bright stream.

I've just bought 'Poems that make grown men cry'. I thought the title was a bit cheesy, to tell you the truth, but when I dipped into into the book, courtesy of Amazon's 'Look inside' I was hooked. The selection is a knock out, all the poems I've read so far were stunning. If the book gets more people keen on poetry, which I think it will, then I'll forgive the title!