Donations are essential to keep Write Out Loud going    

THE LAW OF DISAPPEARING SURFACES

One thing they forgot to teach us at school

is the law of disappearing surfaces,

as inevitable as water finding its own level,

stating that a static surface will always

attract objects in direct proportion to its

convenience and accessibility,

and yet

they never teach you that at school,

 

once full, the surface disappears

after serving its purpose.

The phenomena is known throughout the world

wherever humans exist

and has been duly recorded 

and yet

they never teach you that at school,

 

Strange, because a teacher's desk is a good example.

In spite of designers and photographers

working for lady's magazines who portray

large and impressive surface areas

the principle inevitably still applies. 

Though obsessives will try to clear the decks

they can't rise above the facts i.e.

S = Time over matter (referred to as X)

making S equal T over W

where T represents time and W wonder

at why this law has such widespread effects. 

 

🌷(7)

◄ ON THE HOTTEST DAY OF THE YEAR SO FAR

BEWARE ►

Comments

Profile image

raypool

Tue 26th Jul 2022 11:21

Hi John, thanks for your perceptive comment ! A point at a time here goes. The piece was intended as a swipe at some of the laws we are taught that I could never come to terms with. So in that respect we have a common ground perhaps. The last stanza tried to do that, and the confusion was more or less built in .
The repetition of that line was a trick to reinforce the idea again of the obscure nature of some teaching and how useful life skills are really not covered , at least not when I went to school in the dark ages. The spelling of ladys was well spotted, slipped through the net, thanks. I wasn't quite clear on your point about accidents.
There is a whole other world within drawers and cupboards that could be expressed as you say. The stability of surfaces is a salient one, and reminds me of working on cruise ships in bad weather!

Ray

Profile image

john short

Mon 25th Jul 2022 09:33

Dear Ray
I didn't really understand the last stanza (apart from the irony of the teacher's desk being a good example) because I'm useless at stuff like Physics. I don't think you need the last two lines of the first stanza as you've already said it in Line 1. Also, shouldn't it be 'ladies'' (plural)? But there are many such laws that are not scientifically recognised or taught eg. Accidents are always completely unexpected (but these laws are 100% true). It just occurred to me that the same could be said of drawers and cupboards. They tend to get filled up. If you made surfaces not horizontal they'd lose one of their purposes.

Profile image

raypool

Sun 24th Jul 2022 21:29

Many thanks to Frederick, Dean, Kevin, Stephen,and Holden for your likes.

Thanks Stephen, frustrated of Farnham that's me.

Telboy, what a good idea, i'll tell my wife before she leaves home.

Ray

Profile image

Telboy

Sat 23rd Jul 2022 18:51

I suppose the answer is to not make surfaces truly horizontal. Sounds daft? Well you started it Ray! 😀

Profile image

Stephen Gospage

Sat 23rd Jul 2022 16:51

Never was a truer word spoken, Ray.

If you wish to post a comment you must login.

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

Find out more Hide this message