An Ordinary Chaos

[JFN]

Cheers Matt. Pleased to have made you cringe.

Thanks to Sorella and her unread book pile for today's inspiration.

[JFN]

Here's Hoping Heaven has a Library

This world is full
of books unread,
pages unturned
by the not-yet-dead,
of print unthumbed,
of unvoiced rhyme,
histories learned
if we'd give them time.

But there's a place
with book lined walls
and time to sit
and read them all.
So come with me,
climb the stairway
through thunderclouds
to the library.

.

__________
Mathemaku 2019.03.11

^{omnes scripto}/₁ > ∑_time

.

[GreaterMandalaofUselessness]

Hi John,

I hope it was clear that being made to cringe by the last one was a positive reflection on the poem. It was very done well.

This latest one: Nice rhymed dimeter advert for heaven, in case we were lacking in enough reasons to want to go there. The mathemathku seems to suggest that we still wouldn't have enough time: All writing divided by one (if read by one person) would take more than the sum of all time. I reckon that's true, at least for now. Even in a life of leisure in heaven there'd still be millions of new books being written each year. Mind you, come the the zombie apocalypse, there'll be a lot of catch up time, I reckon.

-Matt

[JFN]

I hope it was clear that being made to cringe by the last one was a positive reflection on the poem.

Yes, thank you. I'm genuinely pleased that it got some gut reaction. I was worried after starting it that I would just produce a poor copy of Plath's 'Cut', which has one of my favourite opening two lines of all time, but am happy enough that it's different enough.

And yes, even with an eternity it couldn't all be read.

[lauriene]

Here's Hoping Heaven has a Library is awesome! Great execution with the rhyme and short lines, which aren't easy to pull off. I love the concept. I'm going to show this poem to the librarian at our school if that's ok with you. Nice work!

[JFN]

Thanks lauriene. Please feel free to share it with the librarian if you think it will amuse them.

Decided it is time to loosen the rhyming & meter joints a little before NaPo, and had long train journeys today, so churned out something a little longer.

[JFN]

Human : Nature

I went for a swim in the ocean,
I went for a swim in the sea,
and I really had no notion
of how many beasts there'd be.

A blue and white striped jellyfish swam past me with the flow,
was eaten by a great turtle who simply didn't know
that bags are not as tasty as that yummy jelly flesh;
she'll figure it out soon enough because she'll choke to death.

So...
I went for a walk on the seashore,
I went for a walk on the sand,
and I really couldn't ignore
all the many beasts on land.

A hermit crab came scuttling sideways across my toes
and on his back I swore I saw a tiny little nose –
two eyes on stalks looked up at me and two more from his shell –
his home, an empty doll's head, like some chimera of hell.

So...
I went for a stroll in the forest,
I went for a stroll in the trees,
and now I'm pleased to attest
to the many beasts one sees.

A little hedgehog, snuffling, came by and looked about.
He wore the most amazing bling, of that there was no doubt –
a choker from a four-pack, oh what a delightful prize.
(I looked for one myself but they don't come in human size).

So...
I went for a climb up a mountain,
I went for a climb to the peak,
and there I gave up counting
all the many beasts to seek.

I heard a yellow-legged gull cry, her voice was like a choir,
no matter how frantic she flapped she couldn't fly much higher.
And then I saw her sky-blue ribbon cut across the moon
and strangle her. It made me sad, so I bought a balloon.

Oh...
I went for a swim in the ocean,
I went for a swim in the sea,
and I really had no notion
of how many beasts there'd be.

.

__________
Mathemaku 2019.03.12

P_todaye^kΔt_(homines) x (C₁₀H₈O₄)_n = 0_(gaia)

.

[JFN]

Sub-Traction

I contract as she contorts,
divided by the closing doors –
she becomes a 9, a 3,
or some fraction partway between.
I become a 2, maybe,
with twisted torso, flexing knee.
They multiply at Baron's Court
and so we both diminish more.

.

__________
Mathemaku 2019.03.13

IF V_tube - V_commuters = 0
THEN V_tube = V_commuters+1

.

[Bench]

Hey John just nosing through, loving the challenge of your mathemakus. Thinking that in 12, alcohol was a factor, but not necessarily the answer Yeah the plastic thing is gross. It’s every step on every high water mark on every beach here, and your poem is redolent of some of the instaplacards trending among my internet friends. It’s such a hard read, the childish style combined with those commonly understood images generates, as you read, that familiar existential dread. The dialled-up flippancy works well, maybe ends of Ss 2 and 4 are too in-yer-face.

Sub-Traction is so good. Don’t know about Baron’s Court, but will look it up; there’s so many things going on in such a short piece - may be it’s a mathematician’s attempt at understanding why love becomes odd, and distant. And ha! Have you seen that clip of a Hong Kong guy being squeezed on a packed tube, doors heaved closed by station guards? Because there’s bound to be room for one more fare. Sparkling stuff!

[JFN]

Ben, belated thanks for the comments.


I'm not fully recovered from NaPo yet, but I need a release from real life again already.

[JFN]

In the Arboretum

two saplings stretch.
Beneath sun-warmed earth
their roots tendril
towards each other.

[Sorella]

me too, a release from real life -- must be crazy.

to tendril-- so like tendely innit-- beautiful!

[Mittens]

Impressed you're still going after NaPo!

I like that it's the roots that move towards each other, unseen under the soil. Sweet start.

[GreaterMandalaofUselessness]

Hi John

Love in the Arboretum. A warming spring-like start to the week. I love the saplings stretching in sun. (Meanwhile cold rain outside my window, but we'll get there).

- Matt

[Donner]

Hi, John,

"In the Arboretum" - Nice image of spring growth and, perhaps a metaphor for love. Tis the season.

Donna