Listening

Practical exercise time.

You've probably done it before courtesy of a tired teacher

Now courtesy of this rhyme

I want to re-execute this exercise in enlightment like a preacher

Are you ready? Do you trust me like science?

I'm going to follow it with you and write right after that

I need you to turn off all noise, engage in silence

Be aware of all that surrounds where you sit.

...

The constant whirr of my computer is not new. I'm aware of this companion

What else is there I don't always acknowledge?

A car on a distant road. It's man-made engine purrs as the wheels spin in tandem

Then something new is added to my knowledge

It's all artificial. Were I to try this again

Outside my home in a field in nature

I would hear insects enough to drive me insane

Or rivers and wind, I would happily venture

Humanity has made amazing things. But we must be aware

What progress has done is certainly profound.

We have silenced nature. Created our own fanfare.

I'm curious as to what you found?

The Greatest

I'm sure you've heard the big names before
The classics, the greats, the best for ever more
The ones who stand out from an ever growing crowd
The ones who you'd love to know and make proud

Well put all those aside, whatever your doing
Whatever goal it is in life you're pursuing
I assure you, there's no point from this moment on
You've been surpassed, there's no stopping the momentum

They'll do it with skill, they'll do it with flare
They'll do it through passion, hard work and care
They'll do it effortlessly, without even trying
They'll be so good it'll leave you crying

And no, they aren't just another flash in the pan
You're sure to always remember this man/woman
Whatever he/she will do would just be a fad
They wont just be good once and then be bad

No I assure you this is a name you'll remember for eternity
The best in history, of all humanity
Welcome to the greatest name you'll ever hear
The eternal name of <insert name here>

Taken from http://www.jeffbullas.com/

To Terry

It's not often that the death of someone you've never met affects you so personally. This. This is one of those times.

My first steps on the Discworld were shaky
I wasn't sure if I'd take a firm footing
I was young, so young, when first I ran with Rincewind
It was the first time I remember enjoying meeting Death

Slowly my footing on this odd world became more solid,
The skies became tangible as I met its characters on its ground
I slunk in dark greys as I observed the dragons and nightwatchmen.
I saw people grow from children to adults. I saw monks ensure it happened

When you've spent so much time in someone's imagination
Literally lived there, slept there, though maybe avoided drinking its water
It can be difficult to leave. Remind yourself it isn't yours.
Just remind yourself that the wonderful person who made it was kind enough to share it with you

So, to Sir Terry Pratchett, one of the custodians of my childhood
Now that I see Death again, and he appears not so kind, I just want to say thank you.
Thank you. So much. For sharing your imagination.
Thank you for the people I met, and the places I went, under your care.
Thank you, you brilliant, brilliant man.

"No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away...” 
― Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man

The Grower vs The Fixed Learner

He was a fixed learner
Never was a yearner
Always put his dreams
on the backburner

She had a growth mindset
Would start to get upset
If the last thing she'd done
Wasn't the best she'd done yet

He thought talent was fixed quantity -
A self-fulfilling prophecy
As, when faced with a challenge,
Retreat was his philosophy

She saw her talent just as potential
That fact was evidential
Because when she faced opposition
A battle was consequential

When he saw success
He found it nothing less
Than threatening and worrying
While she was inspired and impressed

She so desired to learn, he so desired to look intelligent
So he cheated and schemed, she'd say that attitude was decadent
They started off the same, maybe him slightly ahead
The ending to both their stories I'll let you invent

Any guesses?

This poem was inspired by the following article, about the different attitudes people have to intelligence - http://alpine.usskiteam.com/sites/default/files/documents/athletics/freestyle/2013-14/documents/Mindsets_USOCCoach_Winter_2009_Dweck.pdf

Picture taken from the above article. Graphic by Nigel Holmes.

Had I been a girl

Had I been a girl, I wonder how my life would be
All I know is my name - I'd have been known as Hermione
My birth would've brought gender balance to my family
So my parents would have 2 boys, and 2 girls
I wonder then what I would be in this world

I know, at least, my parents would have been kind
If, as a girl, I had showed a scientific mind
But from society what prejudice would I find?
Maybe I'd have studied humanities, delved deep into art
Maybe I'd have gone less with my brain and more with my heart

Would I have been bullied less? Or even more?
Would I still like everyone and be an optimist at core?
Would choosing how to appear each day actually become a chore?
I might have had mood swings, maybe gone to a riot
Given the percentages I'd likely have weight issues and be on a fad diet

Would I be as inclined to sport? There'd be less opportunity
I was very energetic, maybe I'd have channelled that creatively
Certainly I'd have been the only girl in my school playing frisbee
Since I likely couldn't rely as much on height and speed I know
Maybe I'd have been a different player, actually learnt to throw?

How would I perceive the world? How would it perceive me?
Would I have prejudice, be aware of privilege I currently don't see?
Had I been a girl, would my life have turned out differently?
Or would I be much the same? Its hard for me to know
Exactly how my gender has shaped the places I can go.

Question Mark by Bushlemon