Often I hear
That one can take
A sow’s ear
And a silk purse make.
This appears to be the common view
So, perforce it must be true …!
Sow’s Ear
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Category Archives: books
Two Lonely Rivers Met
Two lonely rivers met
And being single
Did their waters mingle.
They are lonely yet
Women, and rhyme, and wine
I have known you for a long time:
Women,, and wine, and rhyme.
The prospect is most fine:
With women, and rhyme, and wine.
The hill does gently decline:
With women,, and rhyme, and wine.
Yet the world is surely divine:
With women, and rhyme, and wine.
—
Note: I was influenced, I believe, when composing the above poem, by Ernest Christopher Dowson’s “The Poet’s Road” which runs thus:
“Wine and woman and song,
Three things garnish our way:
Yet is day over long.
Lest we do our youth wrong,
Gather them while we may:
Wine and woman and song.
Three things render us strong,
Vine leaves, kisses and bay;
Yet is day over long.
Unto us they belong,
Us the bitter and gay,
Wine and woman and song.
We, as we pass along,
Are sad that they will not stay;
Yet is day over long.
Fruits and flowers among,
What is better than they:
Wine and woman and song?”
Fly
To live and die
As a fly,
Knowing only this wood, this sky.
Yet here am I
Inocence Lost
Once she had ideals.
Now her fate she seals
In late night deals
And slip-off heels
There was a young author named Hurn
There was a young author named Hurn
Who lived in a place called Pitcairn.
He wrote about a girl he knew,
Which one aught not to do!
So they drummed him out of Pitcairn!
There was a young man called Mcqueen
There was a young Man called Mcqueen
Who was part of a certain scene.
He wrote a book,
At which I refuse to look,
But I hear its quite obscene …!
Objectification
The girl objectified
Died.
Then
When he had had enough
They discussed
Politics or some such guff.
The Extraordinary Has Become Ordinary
The extraordinary
Has become ordinary
And joy
For girl and boy
Is a mere matter
Of pounds, shillings and pence.
Dreams shatter
And his expense
Is a ticket to stations:
Anticipation,
Vanishing Expectation,
And their final destination … Despair
A Couple Things
On Monday, I read a post in which the words “a couple things” appeared several times. The post was well written and I agreed with many of the points made by it’s author. However those few words “a couple things” set my teeth on edge. Surely the correct way to demonstrate that one is speaking of several things as opposed to a single object is to say “a couple of things” rather than “a couple things”? Apart from “a couple things” being grammatically incorrect, it strikes me as being somewhat lazy to omit one word “of” when writing “a couple things”. The amount of time saved by not including “of” is, surely so insignificant as to be unworthy of the effort entailed in so doing?
I have also seen the words “couple things” rendered with both the “a” and the “of” omitted. I struggle to understand why literate individuals would indulge in such lazy behaviour, but perhaps I am being unreasonable in my criticism?
I have no wish to single out either the individual or the article in question, hence no link is provided. I have, however come across the following discussion concerning “couple things”, https://painintheenglish.com/case/267/), in which some adhere to my view while others disagree. As always I would welcome my reader’s views.
Kevin
