A painting of “ESTHER LING,”
Indeed is it the real thing…?
The one we loved
And her blog, white doved,
Or is it just a representative thing?
–
Jonathan Caswell
ESTHER LING–IS THIS REALLY YOU?
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Category Archives: all quiet
CHURCH ATTENDANCE–A HYPOTHETICAL POEM
He rarely attends now,
It’s gone and got diff’rent somehow…
He feels pushed aside
Not welcomed inside,
No one’s been direct with him, anyhow!
–
They used to go faithfully,
Found the spirit there strong and free…
The Pastor moved on
And a preacher took on
Things with his own personality.
–
With his circle of friends,
For our subject, being close to a pastor ends…
You know his pride
Didn’t like “outside”
But he wanted to attend.
–
Then he and his wife
Both saw ill health in life….
Comparison
With others is sin,
And churned up internal strife!
–
The preacher/teacher and he,
(Too much alike?) weren’t happy…
It shifted into
“An authority over you”
Which wasn’t as healthy!
–
Various dissatisfactions
Led to complaints and feigned actions….
Poor communication
Led to frustration,
In mutual distraction.
–
So now he stays at home
Sundays, with his wife alone…
No need to go
Taken for granted so,
But he’s stuck–this was his church home.
–
Socially depended on her,
His wife, for communication stirred…
When she took ill
He didn’t have the will,
To see that his opening up occurred.
–
He’s given his life for her,
Literally as it were…
Goes it alone
Reaching out he’s done,
Elsewhere–little left at “home”.
–
Options to go elsewhere?
Feels bound by his wife–so there!
Decision paralyzed–
Easier to survive
By himself, ‘though few benefits to share!
–
A “hypothetical poem”–which means it is just a poem….!
–
–Jonathan Caswell
FROM A CHARACTER WHO BLOGS POETRY…!
Advice from an “old man”
Don’t let the crowd command…
You to produce
A poor excuse,
But pick your ground and stand!
–
Having “LIKES” for posts is nice,
But some posts cut a deep slice…
Or folks bored
With that kind of sword,
Won’t be caught thinking twice!
–
Many older posts,
Look like towns with ghosts…
Not a LIKE
Or comment strike,
So much for a poet’s boasts!
–
–Jonathan Caswell
VISUAL ACUITY
Seen a little above his eye level,
Her button up blouse had several…
Fine qualities
At which he’s pleased,
But he stayed on the level!
–
–Jonathan Caswell
VISITED SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT (U.S.A.)
Ostensively to interview,
A teacher’s position or two…
On the way back
Stopped by track,
Of the SPRINGFIELD TERMINAL to view!
–
Should have known by default,
To “snap” the unloading salt…
Trestle in place
I kind of lost face,
The error was sole my fault!
–
A couple of car movers only
In the engine house, looking lonely…
A man let me in
Seeing my grin,
They hauled in salt cars only.
–
–Jonathan Caswell
OF TIMES PAST
An ancient postcard emerges,
Prompting history’s dirges…
But look there
At cleaner air,
Except when engine smoke surges!
–
Today it’s an abandoned line,
The neighborhood isn’t so fine…
On a back street
Likely meet,
Some various crime.
–
A group wanted to run
This branch for profit and fun…
The winning project–
Walking trails I suspect–
In fact they may be nearly done.
–
–Jonathan Caswell
THE SOKAL EFFECT–FOOLISH?
This poem is based in part on a late night radio discussion related to the SOKAL AFFAIR…a literary hoax perpetrated in 1996, by Alan Sokal, a physics professor at New York University and University College London. He essentially produced a “scholarly” paper, submitted and accepted by a peer review professional journal…that was essentially a total farce, with big words and phrases meaning nothing and saying nothing—and nobody caught it or the joke!—Information via WIKIPEDIA.
–
The program on late night radio was on the Buck Sexton Radio program, heard on WTAG, 580 AM AND 94.9 FM..(I-HEART Radio). or at http://bucksexton.com/ Two other men tried a similar stunt…which was similarly unquestioningly received…even by a certain very recent former President.
–
Anyway…my opinion of these scholarly attempts to wake people up:
–
THE SOKAL EFFECT–WHO WAS FOOLISH?
–
Two academics decided,
The SOKAL AFFAIR, to retry it…
They thought the echelon
Would soon catch on,
To the foolish words and not buy it.
–
Alas, they were amazed,
When the stupid thing was praised…
No one claimed to see
Its tomfoolery,
And no objections were raised!
–
Alas, poor academia,
Write crap–you think it love–
“Goobledegook”
As truth they took,
On which none suspected of…!
–
The authors, on Buck Sexton’s show,
Said academia scored very low…
Feeding such junk
To students who sunk
Under such high=priced foolishness—low!
–
It troubles me that they tried,
With hopes of opening eyes…
Weren’t they aware
That complicity there,
Had already stagnified?
–
Embarrassing people is the same
As a liberal calling bad names…
Same vocabulary–
What eye opening–
Wasting time on trite little games?
–
Truth must come by force,
Changing hearts, not playing horse…
Christ had to die
Be sin crucified,
To change a human soul’s course!
–
If you sound just like their friend,
Why expect foolishness’ end…
Look act like one
You’re shot before begun,
No matter what you’d intend.
–
A dirty joke it was,
A lot of people “buzzed”…
Doesn’t help squat
If the whole lot,
Misses the point of the cause!
–
–Jonathan Caswell,
M.S.E.–Biology, 1983
(for whatever good this is!)
ALMOST FRIGHT
The blogger ended in flight
Before could sign off last night…
today at work
He felt like a jerk,
For a while it wouldn’t work right!
–
Repeatedly it shut down,
He signed off with a frown…
Waited an hour
To regain its power
And now he’s going to town!
–
–J.E.C.
NEEDS SAVING
Troubles keeping from sleep,
Oh what struggles to keep…
Time to let go
Before he sinks low,
He’ll be an exhausted heap!
–
Desperation comes,
The pinnacle of his sums…
Adding up fast
To disastrous blast,
Never ready for what comes!
–
His dad had a similar feat,
Struggling in his sleep…
Sat bolt upright:
“Lord–You take it, Alright?”
And fell into deep, peaceful sleep!
–
Obsession easily comes,
Will you stick to your guns…
Give it the Lord–
Peace then restored–
Doze off after a few “ho-hums”.
–
–Jonathan Caswell
LONG HALLWAY A TREAT
A long hallway to walk,
For some coffee and “pop”…
Ice cream, too,
Wrapped for you,
A very brief time to shop.
–
Finding this exercise,
So conveniently-sized…
Needing the cane
Down-back again,
During days, often supervised!
–
Allowed to walk around,
Upstairs he is less found…
This slower male
Must hustle his tail,
Before he grows too round!
–
–Jonathan Caswell
By the Mighty Mumford 