Prachett, Chips, Priorities, Adventure, Soul, Delight, Price, Life Poem by Margaret Alice

I read Malcolm Yorke* this morning, great fun,
a teacher with imagination, the one we would
all have adored – just like Susan Sto Helit from
Thief of Time** – this teacher played a different
role every day, first as Mr Grinbaldy, a clown
then Mademoiselle Margot Tutu teaching ballet;
Wednesday he was Mr Sling, a medical nurse,
Thursday he was Mrs Crumble from the Cake
Shop and Friday Mr Splash, a well-known artist

While Miss Susan took her class on field trips,
When they studied time, she took them to
Australia and Turin to show them time differences,
when the principal opened her classroom door,
a red Indian arrow flew out, though the class
was normal inside – how did Susan do it? And
who would be interested in her, Death’s
granddaughter, but the son of Time herself?

I love these tales of the bizarre, filling in the
spaces of the imagination among and between
the visible lines of reality – since dark matter
makes up ninety per cent of the universe, these
tales must belong to the invisible stuff that
makes life worthwhile!

* Malcolm Yorke: Young Hippo School
** Terry Pratchett: “Thief of Time”


Attack of the Killer Computer Chips*

Friday, happy Friday, was Peggetty**-day; a peg-doll
family living under the floorboards; all they needed
were little peg-children, which they acquired when
Penny made them some

My own spy-characters living it up with white and
red wine, far-off missions and happy returns…
while Karpoesjin excelled in two jobs at the same
time, Semjonof understanding him, but

Ludmillla did not – what a pity the world turned
into an “Attack of the Killer Computer Chips” on
this back-sliding Saturday…

*Paul Zindel “Harry and Hortense” p.5
** Anna Standon “Peggetty”


Priorities Wrong

Yesterday I still tried hard, tried my
best, prepared a meal with care,
projected joy and acceptance unto
you, read Anna Standon and found
peace in belief in magic

Today I pluck the bitter fruit of failed
efforts, read a very sad book by Paul
Zindel, about death and Icarus in a
hopeless world, then you explained
what made you angry:

Whenever you bring a computer home,
we mess it up, the home PC is so messed
up, we can’t access the Internet, the
work PC suddenly started to hang, you
spent twenty minutes on it

To get it going again – I have a
technological impairment, that much
is clear; when you asked me to look
at properties for investment, I didn’t
care, my priorities are wrong…

In Paul Zindel’s book the world needs
saving and the characters are living in
despair; but I believe the world doesn’t
need saving, we only need to trust in
freedom, look for wisdom, live in love

Yet my world seems as black and sad
as Paul Zindel’s book makes it out to
be – and I don’t know why…
Reading about “dynamic and exciting teenage schizophrenics”, changing our thoughts about life and the zodiac guide, while planet Earth is described as a big, sad event – made Saturday into a day of negativity…


Feel of Adventure

Just finished “Cliffhangers” by Eric Weiner*
restored my faith in dreams – Meredith learnt
to tell lies from her Dad – who called it “sweet-
talking”; so she lied to one and all, wasn’t
believed when she claimed she had never
stolen four thousand dollars – but by being
brave and sticking to her story she convinced
top criminals of her innocence; even to give
her a fee; and she decided no more lying
after her ordeal of being fed to a lion (albeit
an old one) and thrown into churning cheese;
once again the feel of adventure is coursing
in my veins…

*Eric Weiner “Cliffhangers”


So Much Soul…

The Idols-game –
Munro and Andriette are singing
rock and roll – with so much soul,
Andriette has a quality voice, if
she doesn’t win I’ll stop watching

so much feeling and emotion, she
cried when the other contestants
were voted off – she has an artist’s
temperament, others were just –
talented, lots of personality, yet

Andriette has something more,
so much soul… then quietly Munro
sang “Tears in heaven”, Eric Clapton,
and the judges cried – even you had

tears in your eyes, and Andriette’s pain
was augmented by Munro’s deep feeling
and expression; how does one choose
between them? Both velvet voices –
so much soul…


Screaming With Delight

You put up a tepee
where I place myself
and ALL my characters,
they can go out one by
one, tackle little bits of
dream-reality before
running back, screaming
with delight – just as your
wonderful words and their
effects come streaming
in from cyberspace...


Price Somewhat High

You say I am free to live my own life, as long as
I don’t expect you to come along, I am free to sing
as long as you don’t have to listen, I can be anything,
as long as I’m anchored in one continuous reality
when I am with you; you bring stability to my fast-
paced imagination - but the price is somewhat high:

Never being me as I feel at a specific moment, always
playing second fiddle to your moods and needs – I
thought it would be salvation to live a strict-rule-life, yet
it brought me so much pain, I don’t know what I gained;
except the ability to dream a dream of such magnitude
real life seems quite dull in comparison…


A Beautiful Life

Fatigued simply because emotions asleep –
typing a Pastor’s words about evangelizing
a continent of heathens; Africans couldn’t
see Christ came in peace when Christians
in Europe were killing each other during
the Second World War

Zimbabwean men cut off a woman’s four fingers;
no amelioration, no respect for life or personal
pain in our pagan country – a civilizing message
came ensconced within the violent display of hate,
when Europe were still destroying itself… Today the
EU has balance restored, human rights being honoured

Member states accepting responsibilities; but
African people unsophisticated, life has no value;
Christianity only used to suppress populations,
criminals walking free because beloved ANC
dismantled all colonial vestiges of might,
anarchy reigns supreme

We live in islands of safety, the excitement of
unbridled violence cascading in waves all around us,
the Systems of Police and Justice have been discarded,
creating a paradise for criminals governing as
Powers of State… still, it is wonderful when I
look at my country’s beauty,

My heart and my soul feel free, unbound, happy;
though they can force me to kneel, the spirit is
beyond all control, I choose my feelings and attitude,
dreams and ideals – therein lies true freedom –
for anyone who activates that ideal, in the
unfolding of a beautiful life!