Things That Thrill You Poem by Margaret Alice Second

Nothing to read for escapism or dreams,
only Arthur Mee's Encyclopaedia printed
before World War II taken with me when
I went for coffee - printed in 1933 - joy in
Britain about Broadcasting House and the
BBC, commemorate listening to news of
the King's demise, marvelling at the new
technology, the main announcer being the
most loved voice in the British Isles

Told commiserating colleagues of my dire
lack of reading matter - An outrage - they
exclaimed, having to read that old book -
I described a new scene in my Government
opera where former official's souls are stuck
in an eternal Indaba held in the Government
Valhalla, all stoppering their ghostly ears with
ectoplasm as a long-winded Chief Director
delivers an interminable speech

This is a scene in hell! - they exclaimed and
ran away - My point exactly - I told their re-
treating backs; returned to my desk to read
my guru's advice - ‘Being happy is the cor-
nerstone of your being, choose things that
thrill you' - writing my Opera thrills me, but
anglicising French texts on how politicians
bankrupted a country in Africa does not,
they destroyed their own soul

Like a snake swallowing itself