In A Safe Place (Revised)
Return to quiet, empty room glowers contagiously
filled it with flowers and laughed at Tiaan’s absurdly
outrageous satire; he says losing a patient to care
for becomes the greater shock, I regret mistakes
made giving guidance to help Carine to heal
Began reading ‘How To Be Motivated All The Time’
where Peter Daniels explains the importance of
setting long-term goals; at the moment I am numb,
cannot take in a subject like this, motivation gone,
I feel oh so tired
My one chance to make a difference in someone’s life
is ended and I cannot say whether my efforts aided
rehabilitation, I miss her presence bringing extra life
and sound, an ambiance that made vibrant
expectations shimmer
Though I know it is time for the patient to tackle
life on her own my heart cries that it is not right,
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poem by Margaret Alice Second
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Inspiring
24 August 2011
Part 1: In Spite of Everything
Oh, give me a chocolate, give me what I crave,
excitement and adventure, an inspiring challenge,
not sitting quietly at my desk looking at criminal
messages at Interpol’s behest
Oh, give me the freedom of sea and wind and sun
up high creating fairy wings in front of my eyes, let
me not languish here, let me not expire in my chair,
let me run outside, be taken down
In a dramatic fight, a heroic deed, some bravery that
would make me feel it was a worthwhile life in spite
of everything and everyone that tried to bring us
down when we were young
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poem by Margaret Alice Second
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Classic Situation (Revised)
First time in months Mme La Pompadour managed to arise and make
the long, hazardous journey back – instructing all to complete every
job stat, ordering our small work community to walk around partitions
when conversing instead of neighbourly hanging over fences; I sighed
with content, little things stir feelings and we shall have fun again
It has been too quiet and rational without her here to end everyone’s
comfortable life, we shall grumble as she makes existence in the
trenches a living hell – for this we are paid, for this we shall stand
and fall as we toil on behalf of deprived language groups; it is so
good to be the target of aggression
It makes the adrenaline flow, puts our hackles up, unites us against
a common foe who looks down on us, the common folk, while Mme
La Pompadour does as she likes – this is the classic situation of
government employees everywhere, so glad to join the ranks of
the bitterly oppressed…
[ORIGINAL]
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Singing By Myself (Revised)
A gratifying result combining temperament
chart with personality type - seem to have
been choleric and sanguine before but the
experience of years abated it to tolerance -
a phlegmatic trait; and melancholic - arts
and music are my life
Not sanguine, a cheerful attitude at work
conceals emotions, no choleric desire to take
charge of others, what a relief, it is disastrous
not meeting expectations: at school I played
and sang for mom - singing in choirs is great,
but mingling with others is not;
I love songs but cannot perform on stage;
without mom I am an a-social melancholic;
remaining behind scenes, singing by myself
shocked by paraphrase ignoring rhythm and
sound, only meaning and grammar taken
into consideration -
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poem by Margaret Alice Second
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Science Poems 1. (4)
SOAP-BUBBLE UNIVERSE
Imagine the beautiful, fragile soap-bubbles of
shimmering voids formed by great explosions
galaxies streaming in filaments
Imagine a sponge, dark voids filled with invisible
galaxies, unknown particles outlined against the
Great Wall opposite the star sign of
Perseus-Pisces-Pegasus
Which would you choose?
The Universe is a patchwork, cosmologists
cannot decide whether it is bubbly or
spongy, so I base my choice on the
subjective criterion
Of aesthetics – let it be a fragile and beautiful
soap-bubble universe
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poem by Margaret Alice Second
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Impromptu No.4 In A-Flat Major
Freedom to choose, oh yes, I can choose
to focus on translations - or write a poem
and delight in singing lines, feeling guilty
about my escape from tortuous life
I may not escape my job of grinding words
and lines, crunching melody, rhythm and
sound - leaving meaning only - which
pays the bills and buys pretty things
Reading discordant and dissonant texts
that hurt ears and eyes - but all choice
entails responsibility for consequence:
Who can be free in choosing between
the devil and the deep blue sea, why al-
ways negative outcomes irrespective of
choice? If you do you suffer, if you don't
you simply suffer another way
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poem by Margaret Alice Second
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Heat Of Feelings - Life's Vertices (Revised)
Life becomes senseless without dreams - the one
thing left, testing ideals by doing the opposite,
discovering alternatives that do not work, breaking
every rule to determine meaning
Pain for long-term gain is the only way to live happily;
humanity the sole religious authority whose embedded
ideals are fine as long as we're not forced to follow
teachings - I dream about miracles, read how
Quantum physics explains all forms of spiritualism,
how consciousness creates physical phenomena
supposedly only perceived, how a wise mind can
present inherently beautiful ideas conceptually
Cynicism kills optimism by abstract abhorrence; life's
value rides upon rays of insight colouring the world
with tinctures of feelings and emotions, created
intrigues, but won't change inner traits
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poem by Margaret Alice Second
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Memory Will Endure (Revised)
‘Cent Mille Chansons’ stirs memory, beautiful
voice, melody of such bitter-sweet nostalgia, a
whispering spirit crying in the cupboard: no drag
worm relates stories of new knights and dragons
Just dream sustained characters who take their
bows, spirits bolstered by lyrics of this song, there
always will be a hundred thousand loves – and
castles and stars to remain untouched by us
One hundred thousand horizons of love, we shall
add new another romance as we join a hundred
thousand lovers in the blue sphere of earth; the
world will never need to know –
but memory endures a hundred thousand years
in my sensitive soul
[ORIGINAL: ]
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poem by Margaret Alice Second
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Space Unlimited
1. Foolish Enterprise
Struck dumb, overcome by this day’s exigencies,
opening a document written in Tunisian legalese,
no Internet access, looking up terms deepens the
mystery, no email messages, no communication
Mental files locked in a mist of incomprehension,
eyes flickering, images on screen moving, trying
to get anything done when my brain is on the
blink proves to be a foolish enterprise…
2. Space Unlimited
A spiritual website claims Internet communication is
only an externalization of an already flourishing tele-
pathic network between minds everywhere, I cannot
agree, it seems to me my mind is closed in its own
experience and nothing leaks into another person’s
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poem by Margaret Alice Second
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A Wonderful Feeling (Revised)
A fervent plea, an impassioned SOS to
the remote IT – Help, my computer’s
failed; disciples of cool calmly reply,
bring us the CPU. CPU? Yes, it means
dismantle, dissemble or disembowel
the beast, locate the malfunctioning
piece, balance precariously on a chair
with wheels and drag it down here
Security says disbelievingly, Oh no, you
must fill out this form in duplicate at
least, CPU detail, your name – and oh,
plus another for the chair;
Struggling with anxious sweat brow-
breaking and running unchecked down
my face, finally reach IT - my arrival
ignored – Please, I beg, sanitise my
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poem by Margaret Alice Second
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