I am a writer, poet, blogger, editor, and I like to think about things, all kinds of things. My most current bit of thinking has been prompted by the seeming avalanche of fake news, false beliefs and so one, constantly to us, presented in the media. There’s hardly any way to escape the lies and mistruths.
Of course, if you do what I’ve done for most of today, and just switch off the media, and with only a limited and careful time on Social Media, you are able to let your own brain feed you with things to consider, without agendas of others.
My own agenda is that I wish to be a very good and considered thinker, in the Stoic mode, working to think my way to wisdom, and being the best and wisest person I can be. It isn’t easy, but then, whoever said doing good things is easy? Sometimes it is, of course, if you ignore the bad dross that is even easier (in the short term).
So today, I saw something on Social Media, that led to some thoughts, and to a little bit more (but different) Social Media … A bit more thinking, considering, and a little researching and voila, a new poem has come into the world. This poem is an interesting poetic style, and I will write a little more about it, after I put the new, my new, poem up. Here it is:
Offering Grace to Fools – an Abecedarian
Amazement in the face of
Bewildering ignorance?
Can you turn it over, and
Discern failure of suitable
Evidence, a holding to
Falsehood, and find inside
Good (a morsel), that with
Help, and wise direction,
It may become, with that
Judicious assistance, a
Kind of wisdom still. To
Learn, to listen, to cast
Mind to truth of a wise few,
Not the rowdy unwise many.
Opening up their mind to
Perception, wisdom, and so
Quitting the easy spoon-fed
‘Reality’ of TV, read widely
Study widely too, understand
Too, that living life widely,
Unashamedly questioning
Various alternative opinions
Will bring new thoughts –
Xpunge stale past untruths
You’re better off without them,
Zero in on truths staying firm!
Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com
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As you can probably see, with this poetic form, the Abecedarian, is a poem of 26 lines, each line beginning with a particular letter, as they are presented in the alphabet. I cheated with the X, as I also often do with another poetic form dealing with particular letters in a particular way, the Acrostic poem.
Cheating, or not, I still quite like this particular poem. I’d love to know if anyone else finds the thoughts there interesting too. It is a part of Stoic thought, that one should try to do the best for the world at large, and assist those who are victims of ignorance, and assisting them to learn better ways is a good and Stoic thing to do.
And if the actions do not injure me, or others, or the world, and there is not a thing I can do to change them, then I will step away, and not trouble my mind with needless worry and stress. I will do my best, when and how I can. Best for the many, not just for me.
So those were my thoughts today. I wrote this poem, as my house was getting its first professional cleaning, first since we moved here anyway. I know this woman who is now my cleaner did a good job, even though the evidence isn’t immediately obvious. I know what she cleaned, and I also know how dirty it was …
Cleaning is not my strongest ability, but I am glad for what I know have, and will endeavour to maintain the some level of cleanliness, in the kitchen, anyway. Having a clean area, and with an inspired idea to assist with one particular ongoing issue, I hope the kitchen will not need such work from the cleaner next time. There are other areas in need of work …
And so that is my poetic work for today, and my ongoing house-work for the future.
Carolyn Cordon - Creative 