Including a piece for Totally Optional Prompts. Have you had a go yet?
Welcome to my daily Diary post. First, a question: When is a Tasmanian Tiger like a mouse? Well, never. But scientists from Australia and America have got close. They’ve brought back to life a gene from the extinct Tasmanian Tiger after implanting it in a mouse.
This world’s first is being applauded by science. But it scares the hell out of me. The Holy Grail of biology is being muted again – can we bring back a dinosaur? Now, do they really think, if they did, it would stay in a cage?
Whenever you introduce new life into an ecosystem, it rebalances itself.
We know this. So the simple existence of that gene in a mouse will do the same. It may not be noticeable, but theoretically, it WILL occur.
And now it’s been done once, it will be repeated over and over again. And every time it’s done, our planetary ecosystem shifts in ways we have no idea. They say science and creationism cannot co-exist. Wanna bet?
Back to home, there are many attacks on British troops.
Yet, surprisingly, this is coming from the UK public. This, and discrimination, has led to the government talking about an Armed Forces Day, and new laws to outlaw discrimination against our troops.
First of all, I think it is disgusting to discriminate against the forces. Yes, I know the wars we’re involved in are doubtful, but what has this to do with the troops? Keep heroism and politics separate. Appreciate the heroism of the troops, but take out your anger on the cowardly politicians. THEY start wars, not soldiers!
This said, the idea of separate laws to cover such things is wrong. Laws already exist to criminalize attacks. The whole idea of a ‘just’ law is that it is common to all. Once civil law begins to be applied to different ‘categories’, the spirit of the law is lost, and the path laid open for repressing sectors of a population through legislation. And in this direction, dictatorship lurks.
Don’t forget to call tomorrow.
(c) Anthony North, May 2008
POETRY AND FORMULA
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Today the prompt asks for a Triolet. Now, I’ve only been writing poetry for a short while, and I’ve never heard of one. I’ve got the basic idea, but no matter how hard I try nothing will come.
It told today, it’s all gone wrong.
I fail to connect with the words. And I guess the reason is this: I don’t understand the value of formula poems. When we concentrate on such styles, can we speak from inspiration when it is ‘technique’ we’re aiming for? Well, I tried to write one a second day, and:
It told, today it’s all gone wrong.
Now, I’m not in the business of upsetting anyone with this rant. I’m just trying to understand the value of such formulas, ‘cos I just don’t get it. When I have a message or point to convey, I coast along, and the words themselves decide the style. But when I try to place style above meaning. Well …
It told today it’s all gone. Wrong?
© Anthony North, May 2008
