When an extremely fat old Whig
Called a young Tory squire a prig,
His opponent gave a big smile
And said, “sir, wait a while
And I will feed you another fig!”.
When An Extremely Fat Old Whig
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A Recording Of Me Reading A Poem From My “Selected Poems”
This poem is included in my “Selected Poems”. “The Selected Poems of K Morris” can be found here
(for the UK), and here
(for amazon.com customers).
Sex with someone who is not part of your household to be made a criminal offence in the United Kingdom as part of new lockdown measures
The UK’s “Daily Mirror reports that:
“Sex in your house with someone from outside of your household is set to become illegal today.
The government is introducing new lockdown measures that prevent people from socialising (or gathering) with one person from outside of their household in a private space.
Up until now the person visiting a house for sex would have been the one in breach of the measures”. (See https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/sex-your-house-person-another-22117105).
As a libertarian, (with a small l) I find this deeply disturbing. What consenting adults do (behind closed doors) should be no concern of the state or of society. And this legislation strikes me as being something one would expect in a dictatorship rather than a democracy like the United Kingdom.
Yes COVID-19 is a serious problem and I am concerned about the pandemic. However I am more concerned (in this particular instance) about unwarranted intrusion into the private lives of consenting adults. Just how many people are going to become infected with the Corona virus as a consequence of having sex with a person who is not part of their household? I would be astounded if anyone has carried out any research into this issue.
For what its worth, my own (non-scientific view) is that very few people will become infected as a consequence of indulging in sexual relations with a person who is not part of their household.
Apart from the massive impact on civil liberties, I honestly can’t see this law being enforceable. A few nasty neighbours may report someone they suspect of breaking this law, but the vast majority will, I believe mind their own business (as, indeed they should do).
This (proposed) law contrasts sharply with the sensible and liberal policy of the Netherlands where single people are encouraged (should they wish to do so) to find a “sex buddy”, (see https://kmorrispoet.com/2020/05/16/the-netherlands-advises-single-people-to-find-corona-sex-buddies/).
I never thought that I would see the day in a country I love where such draconian laws where even being considered.
Out of Time
This poem is not currently included in any of my books
Anyone Fancy Spam for Dinner?
“Do you have a spam issue on this blog; I also am a blogger, and I was curious about your situation; many of us have developed some nice practices and we are looking to swap methods with other folks, why not shoot me an email if interested”.
“Hello, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam feedback? If so how do you protect against it, any plugin or anything you can advise? I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any assistance is very much appreciated”.
I do indeed get a lot of spam and, funnily enough I found both of the above comments in my WordPress Spam folder. I really can’t imagine why!
Age and Youth
You say
That the aged
Should give way
To youth.
For the aged
Are from a bygone age
And have nothing to say
To youth.
You,in your early twenties,
So empty
Yet, so sure
That youth
Is the one and only truth.
Why should I engage
With a pencil jot upon a page
That a rubber, so soon obscures?
All Flesh is Dust
When a young lady named Rose
Said, “all flesh will, one day decompose”.
I said, “that prospect is fearful.
And you make me quite tearful,
As your standing right on my toes!”.
10 of the Most Accessible Poets in English Literature
On 30 May, the blog Interesting Literature published a post entitled “10 of the most accessible poets in English Literature”, https://wp.me/p2WHCx-5Bm.
Amongst the poets mentioned are some of my own favourites, including Philip Larkin, the American poet Emily Dickinson, and Thomas Hardy.
Below are links to a selection of my favourite poems by Larkin, Dickinson and Hardy.
“Aubade” by Philip Larkin. Read by the poet himself, Aubade is a powerful examination of the poet’s fear of death, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDr_SRhJs80
“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson. Unlike Larkin in “Aubade” Dickinson does not see death as a threat which does, I think stem from her deep religious faith, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am5O8_iCpmg
“The Darkling Thrush” by Thomas Hardy. Hardy’s bleak mood is contrasted with that of the joyful singing of an “aged thrush”, which causes the poet to ponder on how the bird can see “some blessed hope whereof he knew and I was unaware”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGY3DZH85O8
Should poetry be accessible? Certainly any poet who deliberately writes to be inaccessible would be a very strange creature indeed. However what is accessible to one is not accessible to another as, to some extent accessibility is in the eye of the beholder.
Poets also need to be cognisant of the danger of patronising (talking down to) their readers. Whilst working on my forthcoming poetry collection, I considered the need for footnotes. This question arose as in 4 instances I reference the work of long dead poets. My initial view was that anyone with access to Google (please note that other search engines are available)! could easily ascertain details of the poem/poet mentioned, meaning that footnotes where unnecessary. However, I came to the conclusion that adding a few footnotes was preferable to having my readers cursing me for assuming that they had knowledge not possessed by them. Consequently several footnotes appear at the end of my poems.
As to whether my work is accessible? only my readers can answer that question. And different readers will, I believe answer it differently.
(You can find my “Selected Poems” here, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WW8WXPP/. My forthcoming collection will, I hope be available in late June/early July).
Former Chief Justice Jonathan Sumption on the UK’S Corona Lockdown
Earlier this evening, I listened to a fascinating interview with the former Chief Justice Jonathan Sumption.
Much of Sumption’s interview is taken up with an exposition of his view that the UK’s Corona virus lockdown is “despotic”. Whether one agrees with his analysis or not, Sumption’s interview is well worth listening to for anyone concerned with civil liberties.
Many libertarians have (albeit reluctantly) accepted the lockdown, but Sumption remains of the view that it should be of a voluntary nature. Whether one accepts Sumption’s perspective or one rejects it, he raises profound questions about the liberty of the individual and the proper limits of state power.
For the interview please visit, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08fjy9j.
(Note: in contrast to Jonathan Sumption, the UK Libertarian Party has expressed qualified support for the UK’s lockdown. See, for example this link, https://libertarianparty.co.uk/2020/03/23/statement-on-coronavirus-lockdown/. Sumption is not, to the best of my knowledge a member of any political party, and he mentions during the interview that he has voted for different parties at election time).
When Darkness Falls
At close of day
They say
That ghosts pass through walls.
And, when darkness falls
Cheap perfume
Fills the lonely man’s bedroom.
But ghosts,
Leave no notches on bedposts.
K Morris - Poet 