Skip to main content

Martian Elephants



      I exhibited Martian elephants, at the pleasure grounds 
      where the bands and circus played.

      No clowning for us, but a great feat of science,
      from dream to plan, with tool and appliance,
      some 25 years of traveling in place,
      then a carbon-based Elevator to take us to space.

      Geodesic dome-home and dust-devil friends,
      six-eighty days (or a year) (it depends).

      Then found them! and quickly discussed guest disgust:
      No hunting, no chains; their family united,
      no cages at all, for they were invited.

      Between worlds we flew, and, taking our cue,
      planetary break, from red on to blue 

      Greatest Show on Earth! The posters went up.
      One time only! A mile from this station!
      Free parking, free programmes, three groats a head,
      fifty pence extra to see them all fed!

      St John, Old Bill, and The Queen's PCA,
      Sol with his hat on, to brighten the day. 
      Pleasure to share miracle existence!
      From fields of Mars: pieces de resistance!
      
     The gates opened at ten to the sound of...
     ... cricketers, playing just over the boundary.

     Nothing, nobody! Greatest No-show on Earth!
     Not one single person can value their worth?

     Baffled, and boiling with anger and rage,
     What madness of crowds keeps wonder encaged? 
     Thirsting for knowledge I went into town, 
     to stop shopping pachyderms, glazing around, 
      
     Their answer they trumpeted, happy and clear:
     Mate! cease your questions! and be of good cheer!
     calm down and allow us a word in your ear:
     we've all seen elephants before, round here!











Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Apollo 11, The Sistine Chapel, and un-educated fleas: how communication is both effortlessly simple and ineffably complex (at the same time):

 The fundamental organic process of communication, the instinctive process that forms the basis of the functions of the nervous system, the brain, all understanding, intelligence, and language use, can be most simply described as:  (Where information is anything that exists or can be imagined, and idea is any information that is connected to, or can be connected to, the first information .) Thus it is that, as far as the basic process of communication is concerned, it is simple enough for babies, bees, and even un- educated fleas to do it. The most basic idea we have about anything is emotional or sensational . If the process were only as described above we would only ever be able to react to any information with our instinctive feelings. However, as any idea is fundamentally information , as soon as this process begins, it is immediately recursive: Although, in fact, the commencement of the communicative process is akin to a stone being dropped into a pond, with rippl...

Cleopatra, a cowboy, then screaming!. - How we understand things.

“We, ignorant of ourselves, Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers Deny us for our good; so find we profit By losing of our prayers.”                 “Finish, good lady; the bright day is done, And we are for the Dark. ” ― William Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra   Cleopatra, a cowboy, then....screaming!       Presented with this information, how does the brain deal with it? Necessarily, the brain must deal with it as it does with all information:                                 Information -------------> Idea        Consequently, you might sort it out like this:               ...

Stranger in a Strange Land: the asking and checking skills of Grok

  Grok:  Bela Lugosi’s pyramid is a critical thinking model that places the question "What is it?" at its apex, emphasizing asking and checking as essential for understanding information and ideas. The July 2013 post expands this concept, arguing that these skills (symbolized as "Bela Lugosi") are suppressed by power structures globally, leading to poor communication likened to "barking." In Japan, cultural norms exacerbate this issue by discouraging direct questioning and articulation, as seen in classroom anecdotes and language learning. The phrase "Bela Lugosi is unwell" reflects the global neglect of these skills, with Japan as a stark example. The pyramid calls for reviving asking and checking to foster better communication and societal progress. If you’d like me to explore specific aspects further (e.g., Japan’s cultural context, other examples, or related sources), analyze the referenced Wikipedia link on debate, or search for additional c...