Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Venus!

Transit of Venus

VENUS!

Just when we thought we'd seen it all,
Something very, very small,
A little insignificant dot,
Like a pimple, like a spot
On a large and florid face,
Came and put us in our place!
And it made me think, all horoscope-wise,
That objects in the starry skies
Have an influence on us all,
Even though they may look small.
*
Many, many years ago,
When Venus put on its magic show,
A certain man named Captain Cook
Thought he'd like to have a look.
He had a quite unusual notion....
He'd sail his ship to a Southern ocean,
And there, with others of his crew,
He would get a clearer view.
After the transit the Captain found
He had time to look around,
Finding Australia quite by chance
And also stealing a march on France.
He planted the British flag post haste,
Before the Frenchmen got a taste!
Who knows what future might have been in store!
Our language would now be French I'm sure!
*
Now I come to my personal story,
Far removed from power and glory.......
I'm only living here today
Because of the words the Aussies say!
Had they spoken French I'd have turned my back
Because I haven't got the knack 
Of learning new languages! They're too hard!
I prefer the English of our famous bard!
And so, dear Venus, my gratitude,
For it isn't only that you've been viewed....
I'm grateful for the life I lead.
You're a living horoscope indeed!
*
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                                                                                                        Choi Jeong-Hwa

COUNT THE COLOURS!

Imagination!
The human mind
Isn't like any other kind!
In fact, I'd say that it's unique,
Along with the fact that we can speak.
We may be just a result of chance,
But our minds can sing and paint and dance. 
Fancy thinking of using doors
To make a house of many floors!
And fancy 'us' creating the means
Of letting everyone see such scenes!
Without the internet we'd never
Have seen a vision quite this clever!
How fortunate 'we' went to work
To make such oddness, fluke and quirk!
I feel so fortunate! To be around
When such wonders can be found!
Choi Jeong-Hwa!
I can't say your name!
But thank you, thank you just the same!
*
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PS
The Travelling Players, Wandering Minstrels, in other words my Merry Mellows group has been less active during the first half of this year. This is because January was holiday time, February was spent in rehearsing the Big Show, March was performing the Big Show, April was going on holiday and having surgery, and May was getting over surgery (though two plays were performed without me). Today seemed like getting back into the swing of things. We performed 'Unhand Me' for the last time! We have 'done' it in almost every possible venue, over twenty times in all, so it's now going to be replaced. This was a minus-music performance because I wanted to involve the audience in the acting. And it went pretty well, I thought. Sad though.
So it's farewell to
Belle, the beautiful virgin, Old Peg with her gammy leg, The Villain Sir Dylan,
 Jack the sexy woodcutter and Belle the frustrated Grand Dame!
R.I.P

3 comments:

Margaret Gosden said...

Since the picture is a no-show, is this a take on the recent 'invisible' art show I recently read about, I wonder - art for the mind not for the eye. Very clever and quick on the mark!

Margaret Gosden said...

I am so glad to hear you say that you prefer the English language to the French despite your opinion about the complexity of English spelling! As I put together my RT 2 post this week I thought of you while figuring out the explanation for 'Beefeater' - if the French language dominated, what name would we have had for the bodyguard of the Queen and her jewels, I wonder....

PammyMcB said...

I never heard the story about Venus and Australia until now. As you so eloquently put it, we would not see and know things that we see and know today had it not been for the internet. You have done a wonderful job both educating me and sharing your beautiful poetry with the world.