We are broke , we can’t   afford an oven.
What did they do with the ovens after Auschwitz..
give them to Charity or sell them to another  evil Fascist country to pay for the re homing of the survivors ?
They were refused entry to   the UK or USA .
Then we complained when they decided to flee to  the Holy Land.
I bet Jesus wept all night.
Unless he was not a survivor
That made me blink.
Forgive us,O Lord.
Why?

In summer time when sun do shine

I’m happy on my own

http://www.poetseers.org/themes/poems-about-truth/index.htm

If I had known  when I got married my husband would die before me,I’d have shot myself.

My husband was so stupid he thought I was more intelligent  than he was

My husband told me forty years later he was upset I beat him at chess.We only played once.He taught me

I feel so angry  with him  dying that if he was alive I’d divorce him

I don’t know why he married me as I was  anorectically thin and wore NHS spectacles.He had even worse vision than I did!

When I was very ill he knelt beside me and asked me  not to die.Unfair

Dear Susan

I hope you are keeping well.I have a favour to ask.My girlfriend Annie and I want to go away for a few days to Liverpool to see the Cathedrals etc.I wonder if you could come here to look after Emile.He would hate being in a Cattery and yet he needs company

My new book “Riemann’s Mouse” is coming out in December.It is a book of poetry I wrote in the staffroom in between my lectures on Diffusion and Differential Geometry.I do it just for my own enjoyment but  if you would like to read it you can buy if from Amazon for £56.99.I wrote one called Riemann’s Cat so this is a more up to  date way of learning Physics withour knowing it.
I am just baking a  Xmas Cake as Annie is doing the dinner.We are  having roast beef and Yorkshire Puddings and Emile is really hungry for it now.Staa never cooked a turkey and I don’t like it

I have some weird new neighbours but I will not write it down.I think a touch of paranoia is in the air.Fears of houses burning down.Mind you, with the world like it is I sam not surprised.It’s easier to fear that than the end of the world.
I wonder  how God sees it all.If we could meet we’d die of fright

I would leave the freezer full of food if you were able to come.But don’t feel obliged.I’ve only lent you £50,000 so far and never asked for a payment…..if you  have any decency do this for me and for Stan’s memory.You can use the washing machine too… you always look rather dirty  unless it’s my spectacles… a metaphor!

Your  third cousin

Mary

and Emile her cat xxx

  Alfred by Kathryn

My dear Helen

Thanks for sending me your new novel. I am unsure  whether the main  character is meant to be me.I have worn Viyella nightgowns in the past but not when holding a dinner party.If I wanted to attract a man I would wear a dress from Artigiano and only speak about art and music not differential equations and quantum, theory .
As you never passed a maths exam after the age of 12 I doubt if you know what a differential equation is.It has no connections with  bicycle gears.I think it was very bold of  you to put that in.But I cannot deny it is fancified garbage which will be suited to only people who failed maths O level.
It’s mental effect  effect has been akin to eating a bag of Worcester  permain apples which are about to  go mouldy in a park where there is no public lavatory
Please. refrain from sending me your  next novel if you have the stupidity to attempt another.I would think a cookery book would be more  suited to your writing style.. ……making lists and giving orders to all and sundry, to use a cliche….. that’s the other thing.Never have so many cliches been used by one author  to such effect since  Mrs Thatcher’s co writer  wrote  her St Francis special or Winston Churchill rallied Britain after Dunkirk and saved the world

I prefer lemon mousse to  sour apples or grapes

All fondest love as ever

Adrienne Priorjki
.MA Ph D [Romania]  MA D.Phil {Oxford] B SC [Birmingham] MD {UCH}

[ your  cleaner]

Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth” Picasso

https://www.pablopicasso.org/cat-catching-a-bird.jsp

Cat Catching a Bird, 1939 by Picasso

Nuts Cottage
87 Rubbish Walks
Stampedia
North Norfolk
NWe  0MG pi

Dear Mary

How are you getting on with your  new book? Mine is going well as  having grown up doing my homework while my brother played ” The Ride of the Valkyries” full blast, demanded I do his maths homework and Latin I find with the TV on some rubbish programme I can really concentrate well
.On the  other hand I might be writing rubbish.
The main things seems to be to avoid writer’s block.  whereas in the past it was to avoid writing  rubbish,Funny how popular the word rubbish is nowadays.
When we believed in God we had Cathedrals,plainsong and Byrd.Now we have Malls.Coffee Shops and Muzak.And  rubbish.We are rubbish too
Surely to get writer’s block would be an advantage as it would lead to reverie and dreams or maybe going on Tinder and seeing how many people in the town are looking for….Rubbish connections.
My optician said not to go looking for men.With my eyesight I’d no doubt be  chatting up a  traffic cone.I never did know how to flirt or chat up anyone. don’t think that’s  what he meant.Real men don’t like women running after them which is lucky.I can’t run nowadays,. I could limp after one!
He said his mother did get married again but she wasn’t seeking it actively.So she said.Would she have told her son?
Definitely not.Well, that’s my view.Take it or leave it.Agree or argue.Talk or walk.Who can falsify his theory? Popper died.So they say.

I think I must be drunk with happiness.I’ll write again to tell you the plot of my novel.Basically,i t’s total rubbish dressed up with a few sexual innuendos.These days innuendo seems quite out of date.Old fashioned.Like courting and engagement.Now we start in bed and end up in Court.
Well, try phoning me or you’ll keep getting more rubbish letters

Byeee

https://joshsummers.net/82-the-problem-with-non-judging/

“If I were to try and put the two together, I would suggest that — especially in formal meditation — we want to non-judgmentally allow our experience to be exactly as it is. We don’t want to condemn, deny or avoid any element of it. But once we’ve allowed our minds to gather and receive all the available data, there is a critical transition whereby we act upon that gathered intelligence with judgment – the sort of judgment that is increasingly wise.”

An ancient skill, the making of a rope
Twisting threads into a strong,tough form
Used for tying up a fishing boat
Or ancient ships where slaves rowed till deformed

Ropes of pearls would decorate a queen
Yet ropes were used to hang condemned men
Who knows what  this rope above has seen?
Was it used by sailors now and then?

Primeval like  the gift of flame and  fire
Animals  tied  up so they  won’t run
In the form of wool  it has empires
Keeping warm  in  winter ,kingdom come

A skein, a rope , a thread, a ball of wool
From this sight, imagination’s full

Stan was feeling somewhat glum,nay even despairing,on Monday morning.
Mary had gone to work on her new folding 6 gear bicycle with own basket and an extra basket from Wells-next -the- Sea 1995
[the wicker basket now somewhat grey in hue.]
He was left at home sorting out all his art work and materials as well as doing the baking,cooking and bathing Emile,the delightful yet trying male cat.
Sunk in dark misery,Stan sat in an old uncomfortable chair in the darkest part of the room, while Emile snored on the rug by the bright French windows
.Stan went through all the possible reasons for his state of mind.Was he guiltyabout his flings with his alluring next door neighbour Annie?
Could it be his failure to toilet train Emile? Or his omitting to carry out the penance given by Father Brown after Stan confessed to stealing sweets on the way to Confession in 1956?
The longer Stan brooded the more reasons he found for his depression.
He could hardly get up to make a cup of coffee ..even instant seemed too much trouble.Would he even clean his teeth which somehow he’d failed to do?
The doorbell rang… it was a new cord for his laptop as Emile had been chewing the current one ,and 29 books in a sack from Amazon which his wife must have ordered,as he had no recollection of any such foolish spending.
How would they pay the bill on the credit card? he ruminated.
Later in the day.Annie peered through the window.She tapped on the glass with her well manicured blue finger nails.
Let me in she cried.
I’m too tired for any hanky panky he murmured lovingly as he ran his fingers through her thick red tresses.What is this delightful perfume,beloved,he questioned her.
It’s Poison! she replied.Oh no,sorry it’s Iris and Jasmine Eau de toilette from the Bodyshop.
Despite his lowly sunken state Stan loved this perfume.He sniffed rabidly at her well rounded form
.Well,shall we have some tea,she enquired.
Stan sat there hand on chest.I’ve been feeling a little gloomy,he muttered.She peered at him.
You look terribly pale,Stan.Where’s your angina spray?
I can’t recall,he said.Oh,here it is in my vest.
What a strange place to keep it,she responded.
Mary made pockets for all my vests.at one time you could buy vests with pockets
She’s good at sewing despite being so clever.In fact she loves doing things with her hands.
Annie got the GNT spray out and handed it to him.
Have you got a pain?
Well,yes,now you mention it,I do,he replied verbosely.
Well,in the name of God, use the bloody thing,she whispered endearingly into his left ear.
He opened his mouth,raised his tongue and with his hand resting lightly on his chin he pressed the button with his forefinger.
His head began to throb.
Annie appeared with a cup of Earl Grey tea and a biscuit.
Why,you look a little better.Do you need another dose?
No,I feel much better now.I’ve had it before.
He drank the tea but didn’t eat the biscuit which he threw out later in crumbs for the field mice in the shed.
His spirits began to rise.Why did he always forget that physical ailments can worsen a mood?He still felt a trifle glum but nothing a meringue wouldn’t put right.
OK,what shall I make for Mary’s supper? he enquired.
You sit there in the window and I’ll just make my special spaghetti,Annie replied gaily,as long as I can stay too.
Yes,I’ll open some red wine he said youthfully,and we can have fried apples and bananas for pudding with non fat Greek yoghurt.
What a wise choice she murmured gently into his ear………that will use up some of the newly picked apples,the bananas were from Lidl’s as usual.
Well,Stan you look better.said Mary happily,You’ve been pale all weekend.Was it Annie who cheered you up,not to put too fine a point on it?
Actually it was nitroglycerine,he said roguishly,but Annie made me use it.
But for us women you’d be dead,she replied equably.
But for you delightful creatures I wouldn’t be here at all,he moaned ecstatically.
Now then Stan,control yourself she urged,After all we have a visitor,Annie!
What a hoot,he thought as he twisted spaghetti round his fork in a careless manner splashing tomato sauce all over his new green acrylicjumper.
Thank the Lord for washing machines,Mary said.
I didn’t know Jesus invented them,Annie said with a tone of mild sarcasm but no-one bothered to reply.

As told by Emile to the local paper.
And believed by all of us

My eyes saw a  dark tunnel drawing me
This might be my path as I felt  dread
Near a slope as grave  as  ends can be

Hesitating. wondering what to do
When with such  grief and pain   my  own heart  cried
My eyes  still saw the  darkness drag at me

Shall I go or stay, what will it be?
Not the  love  entire my heart once craved
Rushing to unravel mystery

Then a fire, a cloud of gold  I  knew
My frantic rush had  kept Love far away
My eyes  desired the  darkness beckoning me

Silent,warm , the  Good  caressed me
I recognised but had  no words to say.
The warmth. the golden  love  from language free

A sheet of tears fell from my open eye
I felt  the Love which saved  me on that day
Rejecting   the  deep  darkness  and its plea

In despair we’re frozen , cannot play
In despair Love comes without our prayer
My eyes saw a  dark tunnel beckon me
Down a slope as  grave as  earth might be.

The sun sends sideways glances to our eyes
Approaching winter, we fear lthe ong  cold nights
With the  sun we go down low, then rise

Annually frost  will brings us great surprise
We complain about a  lack of light
The sun sends sidelong answers to our eyes

Do we think all past  cold winters  lied?
That nevermore would snow and   sharp cold bite?
We with the  sun must  go down low then rise

The day is shorter,go to bed with sighs,
Unless you have new lovers to delight
The sun sends  longer shadows to our eyes

Those with  lover hot must  wear disguise
As jealous  neighbours might just pick a fight
All with sun must go down low and then rise

Death and resurrection  multiply;
Infinite the  wakings to new life
The sun sends   shattering glances to our eyes
We see the shadows,  destiny is  ice.

Trying to see things from another person’s perspective means

1.We acknowledge there are other people on this earth and not only here in our country.
2.Their point of view is  of value at least some of the time unless they are drunk or sick or some other problem affects them
3 Imagination and willingness to try to look at the world differently and to be polite to those who differ from us if possible [Don’t declare war]
4 And letting them know why you see things differently if appropriate

Mary was looking through the  front window trying to guess whether her  neighbour’s car was there; she did not want to meet him if she went outside.  To her surprise she saw her neighbour on the other side, Annie walking down the road wearing a brand new  and lovely sheepskin coat
I wonder where she has got that coat from, Mary wondered to herself
She never mentioned that she was going to buy an expensive coat for the winter. perhaps she’s been lucky in a second-hand shop, but even second-hand it will be pretty expensive
She opened the door and called out,Hello. Annie  came running in just like Dave the paramedic.

Hello Mary is there something wrong  and she asked her gently?

Nothing is wrong I am just  envious of your coat.

Why would you like to be my coat? Are you a lesbian?
Do you want to keep me warm in a manner of speaking

I should have said I am jealous but that doesn’t sound right  either does it; what is the right word? I wish that I could afford a coat like yours is that envy or jealousy?

Said Annie I don’t know. I never used to listen to  the nuns when they were talking about Ethics and morals I used to stare out of the window and imagine what it would be like lying on the grass with Fred Astaire or  Leonard Cohen

 I wish I was  able to do that,said Mary .but my father died  when I was 8 years old and it gave me a feeling of guilt which has never really left me. So I always paid careful attention to all the sins  the nuns told us about ; then I would make list of sins or feelings and try to understand what they meant
But envy and jealousy are quite difficult
No they are not said Annie ,jealousy is a three person : you have your husband or boyfriend but you worry another woman might tempt him away

Well you  tempted my husband  away,Mary told her ruefully

Why, were you jealous ? said Annie.At least he was near home  and you knew that I was looking after him while you were at work>What ever looking after him means she said, thinking of Prince Charles and his first wife Princess Diana.

Envy is a two person relationship , you envy  me my coat and you will kill me to get it or destroy me and the coat and knock my house down

Don’t worry I don’t feel like that, said Mary but I’d like to know where you got it from as the weather has gone very cold and it might be just the thing for me

Well I stole it said Annie cunningly

My goodness you are a very wicked woman how do you bear the shame i

Why are you still friends with me ,asked Annie  her politely?

I don’t really know. I suppose I like you and  Stan was bored being at home all the time except for Emile so I suppose I got used to it.  I found the whole thing quite intriguing I wish I had got married again so that you could have had an affair with my second husband but unfortunately I don’t seem to  know how to get one .
Where do women get them from?

God Only Knows  cried Annie in a rude tone of voice;s you can’t buy them in  a shop ;some find them online at places like tinder and other people flirt with all the men at work until one of them gives in

My problem is I don’t know how to flirt ,Mary admitted nonchalantly

You do know how to flirt Annie said. You must
No I don’t
I thought it was genetic .are you telling me it is down to the environment?

That makes it sound rather like IQ ,Mary told her

I just never felt free enough to wink and flutter my eyelids,How did  you learn,Annie

I don’t really know it just seems part of my personality. Maybe it would have been better if I had studied Hebrew and Greek but unfortunately I failed all my examinations except those is  involving men’s bodies

You are awful, said Mary I  have only seen one man’s body and that was my husband’s

Well if are you happy with your husband what’s the point of loooking at  other men’s bodies?

I suppose you  had better come inside and let me try that  coat on

Alright  said Annie. I didn’t steal it that man in the house with a tartan wallpaper gave it to me, do you remember him. I was trying to get him into bed but he wanted to marry me ;I didn’t want to get married again so he very kindly buys me many presents like coats and silk underwear

Do you think it’s right to accept such expensive presents from an old man who wanted to marry you?

Well if we were married I would have spent a lot more,Annie informed her geometrically

I guess you’re right said Mary. if he wants to give you something  it’s not evil although it might make some people think that you are a kept woman

 They both burst out  laughing at this old fashioned name  and walked into the kitchen where Emile was looking at a goldfish in a bowl as if  it was the Pearl of great price

And do you know, it was.

I was struck by your words
I hope they didn’t make holes in your face
Think nothing of it
It’s hard to think of nothing
I meant, don’t keep  brooding
Hens brood
But you are not a hen
Well,I’ve been called worse
Worse than what?
Anything you can imagine
I never imagine
Do you mean you don’t day dream?
I control my mind with a rod of iron
But your mind is not a physical object
Well, what is it then, a spirit?
Descartes said so
I’ll drink to that.Pass the brandy

https://nataliejabbar.wordpress.com/tag/poems-about-stillness/

Extract:

If we weren’t unanimous
about keeping our lives so much in motion,

if we could do nothing for once,
perhaps a great silence would
interrupt this sadness,
this never understanding ourselves
and threatening ourselves with death,
perhaps the earth is teaching us
when everything seems to be dead
and then everything is alive.

Now I will count to twelve
and you keep quiet and I’ll go.

Pablo Neruda

What makes a single cell  defy its death?
One should die to make way for the new
Will it show  symbolically our  wrath?

Chance mutations ,errors   make a path
Like a man with  ringing axe might hew
What makes a single cell  deny its death?

Is the immune system prone to gaffes?
Needing not so many, just a few
Why show  symbolically our fear or wrath?

Noone  who gets cancer will then laugh
Our insides  turn around   till all’s a stew
What makes a single cell  defy then death?

O cruel sun that burned my skin no less
In a way unnoticed but to few
Why show  symbolically our fear or wrath?

Accept  emotions, do not self accuse
Accept the anger do not harm  arouse
What makes a single cell  defy its death?
Why  endanger self  with fear or wrath?

I cannot heal my wounds by power of will
Unconscious kind  intelligence is king
I can use my will power to sit still

While we meditate, our heart can fill
Till all the body cells together ring
I cannot heal your soul by power of will

When weary do not climb the desperate hill
Why risk the heart or shudder in trembling
We must use our will power to keep still

As the water force works   in the mill
So by harnessed nature we may bring
Healing to  the soul , absent our will

The other self in me  will quietly tell
What I need if I have trained hearing
I must use my will power to sit still

In the forest, make a broad clearing
Then the soul reveals herself to sing
I cannot heal a wound by power of will
All is given free if we sit still

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotelianism

¨Aristotelianism (/ˌærɪstəˈtiːliənɪzəm/ ARR-i-stə-TEE-lee-ə-niz-əm) is a tradition of philosophy that takes its defining inspiration from the work of Aristotle. This school of thought is in the modern sense of philosophy, covering existence, ethics, mind and related subjects. In Aristotle’s time, philosophy included natural philosophy, which preceded the advent of modern science during the Scientific Revolution. The works of Aristotle were initially defended by the members of the Peripatetic schooland later on by the Neoplatonists, who produced many commentaries on Aristotle’s writings. In the Islamic Golden Age, Avicenna and Averroes translated the works of Aristotle into Arabic and under them, along with philosophers such as Al-Kindi and Al-Farabi, Aristotelianism became a major part of early Islamic philosophy.

Moses Maimonides adopted Aristotelianism from the Islamic scholars and based his famous Guide for the Perplexed on it and that became the basis of Jewish scholastic philosophy. Although some of Aristotle’s logical works were known to western Europe, it was not until the Latin translations of the 12th century that the works of Aristotle and his Arabic commentators became widely available. Scholars such as Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas interpreted and systematized Aristotle’s works in accordance with Christian theology.

After retreating under criticism from modern natural philosophers, the distinctively Aristotelian idea of teleology was transmitted through Wolff and Kant to Hegel, who applied it to history as a totality. Although this project was criticized by Trendelenburg and Brentano as non-Aristotelian, Hegel’s influence is now often said to be responsible for an important Aristotelian influence upon Marx. Postmodernists, in contrast, reject Aristotelianism’s claim to reveal important theoretical truths. In this, they follow Heidegger‘s critique of Aristotle as the greatest source of the entire tradition of Western philosophy.¨