The whole cancer thing's gotten so laughably awful (stand up, get lightheaded, and fall over... REALLY?) that I thought I would throw a question out there.
Would you rather be a dumb smart person, or a smart dumb person?
Some folks learn by being told,
some from books upon a shelf,
but I will say that I ain't sold
'till I try it for myself.
Now I won't claim to have a lock
on smarts or wit or common sense,
and that is why I got a shock
by peeing on electric fence.
The spark, it moved from wire to me
with bright flash and almighty CRACK!,
and I was felled just like a tree
to rest a bit upon my back,
and wafting up into the air
was smoke from, yeah, you do know where.
Music from Smash Mouth, with All Star.
The Five Minute Friday prompt this week is stir. Challenging.
Did the angels stir the waters,
or was perhaps the boiling pool
lure for simple sons and daughters
who in hope would play the fool,
pushing to the sad line's head,
giving elbow to a chin
from a heart that went quite dead
in the hope that it might win
a path from the black despair,
from the generation-curse,
breathing foul miasmic air
with no shekel in the purse
of the soul condemned to rue
faith in magic shown untrue?
Three minutes, and that's probably obvious. Less Shakespeare than Oh, Dear.
Sylvia always knew dogs were smarter than people. She didn't need more evidence.
"Did the angels stir the waters?" I didn't think of that passage, Andrew, but that is a great passage to contemplate!
ReplyDeleteLisa, thanks! Hoping against hope for healing, it's one I think of from time to time.
DeleteThat is an intresting passage to consider. did the Angel stir the waters, or were they holding on to any scrap of hope, lying there day after day? Was it a superstition, or was there a natural cause to why the water moved? It's like when we're hurting, we grab onto anything that feels like it could offer hope, even if it really doesn't offer any. our only real and lasting hope is to hold onto Jesus.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed what you had to say. god bless.
Oh, Rishie, you're so right! Sometimes I have found myself falling into superstition...if I do this or don't do THAT, healing will come!
DeleteAnd if I fail, I'll drive the healing away.
Ugh!
My son always used to wonder if you peed on an electric fence would you get a shock!! Haha! I'll tell him
ReplyDeleteFiona, yeah, electric fences and urine don't mix!
DeleteAndrew, I would have never thought of the angel. Amazing how God continues to stir up HOPE within you! May we keep praying and asking Him for healing!
ReplyDeleteJoanne, thank you so much for this, and for the encouragement that you always bring.
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ReplyDeleteYour observations are riveting, deep observations spiced with humor, all wrapped in elegant verse. God bless!
ReplyDeleteYou just made my day! Thank you!
DeleteI love the electric fence poem!
ReplyDeleteLesley, I'm so glad you liked the poem. I had been trying to figure out how to describe the Electric Fence Experience for awhile, and in the end just wrote it plain.
Deleteoh, having grown up on a farm, your first poem made me hoot! Thanks for the laughter today. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you got a laugh...and while the experience with the electric fence was at the time shocking, it's funny in retrospect.
DeleteHumm... I had to go check this verse out. pausing to reflect here. intriguing message here my friend. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteFMF319
Paula, I'm delighted that my effort inspired another look at the verse.
DeleteWell, you might be light-headed but it sure isn't affecting your poetic style, friend ...
ReplyDeleteLinda, thank you for this. I'm trying, harder than ever before.
DeleteAs always, your poetry makes me laugh and think and question and that's good. I'm sorry about the electric fence. ;) Did the angel stir up the waters? In my circle of pentie friends, there are many 'supernatural' things that I wonder about. Thanks for grounding me today. Nothing changed for that guy till Jesus showed up and that's what I have to keep reminding myself of.
ReplyDeleteKath, Jesus is indeed the game-changer... I guess I might wish that He had interrupted the power to the fence, but He was probably laughing too hard.
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