Fa – the Green Dragon

A Place for the Odd Musings of an Expat Bristolian


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Uncommon Sense 1.

I thought I might be useful to change my theme for a while: Considering our pandemic with the corona virus. It’s a very serious matter and our thoughts actions and words should be appropriately aligned.
Therefore, I dug up a book from my library written by Joseph Telushkin entitled “Uncommon Sense”. If you are interested, hi book was published by Shapolsky publishers, New York, 1987.
I will share some of these/those quotes which I think express the importance of our attitude, thoughts and actions during these testing times.
1. The question of bread for yourself is a material question, But the question of bread for your neighbour is a spiritual one.
i. Nkolai Berdyaev 1874-1948

Note: You might find it interesting to check out these people. They had interesting things to say.

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Obscure words explained 82 – abracadabra

I have written three versions of this word because it is very complicated to explain in 17 syllables.

ABRACADABRA – Ab’r achad ab’ra (Aramaic and/or Arabic origin

1.Concerning the bull

it’s  the one and only one

a name for the sun

2. Used by magicians

to perform their magic tricks

a magical spell

3. A magical spell

inscribed on an amulet

to cure deadly ills

For those readers with a mind to do so, I hope you ask yourself the question: is there such a thing as magic?  Sir James George Frazer in his book the Golden Bough thought so.

He explained that contagious and homeopathic magic (both generally referred to as sympathetic magic) were valid and practiced throughout the world in one form or another. This magic (these magics) basically formed the basis of our religions.

I have always wanted to throw the cat among the pigeons Ah yes! it’s a full moon.

 


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Taoism

A quick note:  I wake up quite often during the night; why I don’t know. But, in order to go back to sleep I count syllables (not sheep). I woke up this morning and my bedside note pad had this scrawled on it like public toilet graffiti.

Speculating on

what is or is not is a

waste of energy


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the Three R’s (a new take)

THE THREE R’s (a new take)

I cannot tell you what joy it is to write words down in rhyme;

The practice perfected in past medieval times.

Court jesters, Rhymesters, bards and gleemen all trained in how to tell

In epic ways, of battles in which their heroes fell.

Tales of glory handed down from father then to son;

But nowadays we do it, just because it’s fun.

Poems are but retellings, of things we live in life.

Of new-found love and sometimes alas, about a shrewish wife.

Of many things that ail us and the past which brought us pain

But looking on the bright side, the things we’d do again.

We also know of joy and happiness galore

We’ll never know for certain though if we don’t pass through that door.

And therein lies the rub; holding back to no avail.

So take the chance, just sally forth, like a galleon under sail.

I start by simply sitting, day-dreaming of my youth

Then with a pen and paper I go about my proof.

It takes a bit of thinking and lots of trial and error

But after words are changed about it soon looks much the fairer.

There are many rules for poetry, which happily we ignore

Nothing would get written if we did not, of that I am quite sure.

A little trick I find, is to write then walk away;

Save what I’ve written in a drawer until another day.

I also find that reading, works of every kind

Helps to order random thoughts that run throughout my mind.

Why don’t you join me, share in all my joy?

Start by sitting down to play with words just like a toy.

Maybe then you will find out that what I say is true

But Reading, Riting and Rhymatic is entirely up to you.