THE
BLUE BOX (Recycled Ideas)
by Don Cox
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I realize that it has been some time since I posted a column,
and you have all probably been wondering why. The reason
is remarkably straightforward, I have been overwhelmed by
a surfeit of material, and haven't been able to make a choice
of topic. For example, in a recent Globe we learned that
the Rev. Charles Linville had set up a chapel in a vintage
Chevy. The vehicle is called "Our Lady of Eternal Combustion."
There was another item about longevity which pointed out
that at one time outliving your cow was extraordinary. Such
things can't be ignored, but what emphasis and priority
do they deserve? Questions like that can lead to a lot of
agonizing decisions and long delays.
On Thursday last, all these questions were resolved. An
article appeared in the Globe that eclipsed all the others.
Now hear this, Mr. Scott Griffin has announced that he is
providing an annual $80,000 prize for poetry. This is, as
they say, serious coin, and it immediately got my attention.
As you know, I have a vast reservoir of unpublished poetry,
some of which has been reproduced here. I'm sure it can
get a Griffon prize, it's simply a matter of organizing
it, and finding a publisher.
I think I'll start with what I call my "National Vignettes".
These are simple couplets which encapsulate the character
of a Nation in two short succinct and pithy lines. For instance,
Art in Morocco
Is bizarre and rococo
Two yearly crops in Lesotho
It's warm and it's wet and they grow so
This will catch the eye of the international set I'm sure.
Don't let it bother you that Lesotho is semi-arid, if you
have a poet's licence you can play fast and loose with reality.
By the way, I've heard that this year poet's licences have
to be plasticized with your photo on them. The government
is getting into everything.
Here's another National Vignette There aren't a lot of
English words
In the language of the Kurds,
And you will scarcely find a Kurd who
Knows a single word of Urdu.
Don't worry that it has four lines, that's what a poet's
licence is for. It also authorizes me to stop right here,
which is probably a good thing.
Bluebox ©2001 Don Cox
Website ©2001 OttawaWEB
