A Walk in the Woods – a calming poem

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I walk in wonder through the wood

Like some great temple, moist and still,

Bid fair to meet some forest god,

Or spirit of the Spring’s new growth,

Maybe perched upon a bough

Or peeping round some mossy root.

“Do you, good stranger, come I peace

Or will you jar our ageless calm?”

 

The May shower ended, and humid air

Hangs lank and languorous in the awakened wood.

Odours of peat, decaying leaves,

Are soft and wasted under foot.   (TURN)

 

In churches bells hang high on towers,

But in this holy, pagan place

A million bells in violet blue

Have carpeted the wildwood floor.

They burst upon the woodscape, and then

Glory done, can rest a year

No temple architect can match

This bluebell sea in stone or tile.

 

The May shower ended, and humid air

Hangs lank and languorous

In the awakened wood.

Odours of peat, decaying leaves,

Are soft and wasted underfoot.

 

Like ancient pillars of a nave

The grey-green beeches, smooth and clean

Hold up on high a canopy

A  trembling green and yellow shade.

But of a sudden sun breaks through

And dissipates the lingering cloud.

Shaftlets of light dapple the bark,

And raindrops shimmer on the leaves.

 

The May shower ended, and humid air

Hangs lank and languorous

In the awakened  wood.

Silent I tread where many more have trod

But never meet my forest god.

(Robert Hanrott, 2011)

Democracy in peril

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Epicurus may not have approved of politicians, and there is a good reason for that.  The current furore over voting rights should be alarming to everyone who
cherishes the American system, imperfect as are most of the works of humanity.
The ruthless pursuit of power and refusal to compromise is un- Epicurean.  The
The following ( with my apology for the layout, which I couldn’t easily change) puts the situation into interesting perspective:
From the Friends of the Patriotic Millionaires:

“Our democracy is under attack again, with partisan voter suppression efforts by GOP officials sweeping across the country. Today, 100 leading scholars on democracy released a formal statement urging members of Congress to do whatever necessary, including suspending the filibuster to enact national voting laws that strengthen American democracy. We share their concern.

When the health of a democracy deteriorates, it’s often extremely difficult, and in some cases impossible, to fully recover. With much of the Republican party fully dedicated to amassing political power at any cost, the wellbeing and future of our democracy depends on whether Democratic lawmakers in the Senate act in the next several months.

They don’t have a choice here –  if our democracy is going to survive, Congress must pass sweeping voting rights protections, likely through eliminating the filibuster.

Since the beginning of the year, GOP lawmakers around the country have passed anti-democratic laws in an effort to swing the next election (and each one thereafter) in their favor. Just this weekend, Texas lawmakers sparred over a bill that, if passed, would’ve created some of the strictest limitations in the country on voting access. Democrats killed that measure by walking off the floor, ultimately denying the GOP majority a quorum, but that’s likely only a temporary victory. And across the country, things are getting even worse.

Between January 1st and May 14th, 2021, 14 states enacted 22 new laws that restrict voter access. At least 61 bills with restrictive provisions are making their way through 18 state legislatures, and 31 have already passed at least 1 chamber. Many of these bills would reverse the expansion of vote by mail, which made voting significantly more accessible for millions of Americans during the 2020 elections, and impose even further restrictions. These bills are truly alarming, but there’s still time for Congress to act!

The ‘For the People Act,’ currently under consideration in the Senate, would drastically improve voter access by establishing same-day and online voter registration, and eliminating cumbersome voter registration systems, paperwork, and waiting periods. It would also promote overall voter integrity, and ensure voter security by making sure that American elections are decided solely by American voters without any interference from “dark money,” or untraceable political spending meant to influence elections by swaying the decisions of voters.

The For the People Act is the boldest attempt at democracy reform this country has seen in decades, coming at a time when our democracy is in great danger. We need the For the People Act to undo the wave of anti-democratic legislation being passed across the nation, but it wouldn’t just maintain the status quo of 2020. It would offer better voter access, better voter representation, better voter integrity, and better election security. It will protect our democracy and give a voice to all citizens in this country.

While the For the People Act is a great bill,  it won’t make much of a difference if Democrats don’t pass it quickly. This is a time-sensitive issue. If this legislation isn’t passed into law soon, there won’t be time to enact these extremely necessary changes before the next election.

A Senate vote is scheduled for the week of June 21st.,without any Republican support, the For the People Act is dead in the water unless Democrats take on the filibuster. We hope they will, and we will keep pressuring them to do whatever it takes to pass this critical piece of legislation. The filibuster is a ridiculous relic of a different era, and we cannot allow it to hold up reforms that will save our democracy.

Senate Democrats need to care more about protecting the foundation of our democracy than they do about maintaining norms. They must pass the For the People Act, and if it takes eliminating the filibuster to do so, then that’s a price they should all be willing to pay.”

(The Patriotic Millionaires, June 1st, 2021, slightly edited for length)

What really matters?

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Welcome back to all kind readers!

 

The British “Daily Star” ( which offers a take on the news that really “matters”)  calls on readers to “do your bit for Britain”, as it reports that economists estimate every member of the public needs to buy 124 pints of beer to save our “beleaguered pub industry”.  (The Week,14 May 2021).

My comment:  One shouldn’t be judgmental, but, well, I am.  Apologies!  Born a Brit I think it is important that the pub, the social centre of countless villages, survives.  There is nothing wrong with occasional social visits, a pint of beer and a good moan about the world.  It makes you realize you are not alone in the struggle against the stupidity and incompetence all around us.  But a single pint should loosen the tongues of the sensible.

This cry of alarm about pubs is nothing new.  Many have changed their business approaches to offer food ( some of it good) or to be more inclusive of women and children, in a bid to be the true social centres of the neighborhood..  Good for them – adaptable.  But 124 pints?   Enter Epicurus,  best known, perhaps, for advocating moderation and thoughtful, intelligent socializing.  He might moderate the 124 pints to , say, one a week.  It encourages intelligent conversation  without unseemly scenes and incoherent rowdiness.

 

I’ve been banned by the supermarket

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“Yesterday I was at my local store buying a large bag of My Dog dog food for my loyal pet and was in the checkout queue when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

“What did she think I had an elephant? So, since I’m retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn’t have a dog, I was starting the Dog Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn’t, because I ended up in hospital last time, but I’d lost 10 kilograms before I woke up in intensive care with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

“I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pockets with My Dog nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in queue was now enthralled with my story.)

“Horrified, she asked me if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stepped off the kerb to sniff an Irish Setter’s backside and a car hit me.

“I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard. I’m now banned from the supermarket

“Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the world to think of daft things to say.”

(A totally fabricated story, reproduced to make you smile)