An assassin makes lists to clear his head:
check the beretta
feed the red setter.
Us lesser mortals make lists
to make us feel better:
contributing to life's emerging needs:
answer the council letter
paint the bathroom
pull out the weeds,
milk the cat
feed the budgie
shake the mat.
Write a poem
replace a bulb.
The list gets longer
as you add another jot
and it all takes time
and the empty pan on the ring
gets impressively hot.
.
I'm glad you picked that up Laura. My mind boggles constantly. I thought it sounded ridiculous so I put it in!
Thanks for reading.
Hi David; I make lists quite a lot because I have a crap memory; but I guess it demands a concentration of intent
and a sense of purpose for a brief period. I doubt if Hitler made lists but his minions would have done under threat of being human. I don't think people miss out from making them, but who knows if that pan is simmering. It is a riddle as I am running out of explanations! As for the assassin his life may depend on efficiency and the taking of one primarily. Your point is I feel a poetic interpretation. A list can be flexible as to when the intentions are carried out. Your laser mind is hard to satisfy, mate.!
excellent ray. to me, the whole thing is about senility, adding imaginary 'things to do' as you forget about the one thing you actually have to do (the pan on the ring). great ending that jolts against the rest of the poem.
Milk the cat?! The mind boggles! ?
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raypool
Mon 5th Sep 2016 14:22
Blimey, Stu. So many different ways to grip a poem! It's got me thinking now. I usually free run with an idea, leaving a trail of whys and wherefores. Your point is a very salient one and I think there is a fear or forgetting that encourage listing. They are always boring to others, like bus timetables perhaps or stock numbers that may appeal to collectors.
Ray