Grooks (5 page)

let the world pass in its time-ridden race:

never get caught in its snare.

Remember, the only acceptable case

for being in any particular place

is having no business there.

You’ll probably find

that it suits your book

to be a bit cleverer

than you look.

Observe that the easiest

method by far

is to look a bit stupider

than you are.

A poet should be of the

old-fashioned meaningless brand:

obscure, esoteric, symbolic,—

the critics demand it;

so if there’s a poem of mine

that you do understand

I’ll gladly explain what it means

till you don’t understand it.

On Thoughts and Words I.

If no thought

your mind does visit.

make your speech

not too explicit.

True wisdom knows

it must comprise

some nonsense

as a compromise.

lest fools should fail

to find it wise.

Long-winded writers I abhor,

and glib. prolific chatters;

give me the ones who tear and gnaw

their hair and pens to tatters:

who find their writing such a chore

they only write what matters.

A holiday thought.

My old clock used to tell the time

and subdivide diurnity;

but now it’s lost both hands and chime

and only tells eternity.

Talking of successful rackets

modesty deserves a mention.

Exclamation marks in brackets

never fail to draw attention.

Sometimes, exhausted

with toil and endeavour,

I wish I could sleep

for ever and ever;

but then this reflection

my longing allays:

I shall be doing it

one of these days.

I’d like to know

what this whole show

is all about

before it’s out.

Here is a fact

that should help you to fight

a bit longer:

Things that don’t act-

ually kill you outright

make you stronger.

Life makes sense

and who could doubt it,

if we have

no doubt about it.