Thursday, August 13, 2015

Game of Death -- Thursday Toad Challenge



Game of Death

Three girls in the room of one, intently
gazzing at the screen, pondering one man
Cared less about his physique. Just his head.
Head he had, but with no face. Make him smile.

How could he smile?  They'd done it once, for them
Did a silly routine, playing his game
The three of them made him smile, face revealed
Game of Death, had to stab just sixteen times

Today they'd make him smile again, this face-
less man.  How to do it, we'll play his game
Bring him up, get his game on the iPad
Here he comes now, I swear I saw him sneer

Bring three butcher knives and three red blindfolds
Rember our computer Game of Death
It works like that, one must die then I'll smile
I'll meet you after, now go to the woods

The girls remembered a lesson in school
A fun lesson about superstition
B.F. Skinner's "Pigeon Superstition"
One success, birds followed like religion

No matter, it worked on their monitor
Why not now with iPad out in the woods?
Blindfolded now, all with knives.  Spin the wheel
"Iva's out!" cried other two, "drop your knife."

Blindfolds off, sixteen stabs next.  Iva fell
Thin Man with no face, surely now he smiles
Superstition or no, we pleased our man
Poor Iva, she'll smile too, Heaven today
 _ _ _ _

Poem and Photo Copyright © 2015 and 2011, Jimmiehov, All Rights Reserved

Today I am linked with


Notes: 
1.  Iva (not her real name) did not die, she lived through the ordeal  The other two girls, age 12 at the time are now 13 being tried as adults.  This actually happened although not exactly as I have portrayed.
2.  See Izzie's post at Pigeon Superstition to read about B.F. Skinners theory of superstition.  He also thought that pigeons, smarter than the those of the first experiment, could guide a WWII missile to its target.  Woe to us if they erred.

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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Strange Evening at the Bistro ~~ a poem for The Tuesday Platform


Strange Evening at the Bistro

The strangest night at the bistro last night
Lady came, sat with her dog by her side
In her seat, not like Paris at her feet
Hubby heard our talk, we got quiet quick
 
Play space table for our eats, sans the dog
At the bars, on the stairs, children shouting
Sliding the slides, playing computer games 
In comes two tall teens, wanting a good time
 
They were eating not, just surfing the joys
Two tall skinny girls, ending at the top
Perched on the seats high up.  Selfies came next
We'd seen the latest in Scavenger Games
 
Where was this lax of the laxest bistros?
'Twas our neighborhood fast food McDonald's
Where the sign said, "No dogs, no food tonight"
And, "Playground: Kids age four to ten only"

_ _ _ _

Poem and Photo Copyright © 2015 Jimmiehov, All Rights Reserved

Today I am linked with Kerry O'Conner at the The Tuesday Platform


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Tuesday, August 04, 2015

The White Queen ~~ a Spine Poem for the Tuesday Platform

 

The White Queen
Under Bridge with Dick and Harry
Black Friday
 
Poem and Photo Copyright
© 2015 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved
 
Today I am linked with Marian at the The Tuesday Platform
 
The dictionary pictured in this Spine Poem is 102 years old and had belonged to my father.  We are in the process of moving and I am about to throw it away.
I had been keeping it because I thought it was the one Dad 'corrected', by changing the pronunciation of Hostess to utilize a soft "O" that he had penned in.  My mother would always be very upset at him and his, 'whatever' whenever he would bring this up.
Now come to find out after my saving this dictionary for several years after Dad died this it is not the one he had changed.  Bummer, so I think that I will throw it out even if it was published in 1913, making it 102 years old.
 
A 'Spine Poem" makes a poem using the words of spines of books. Here I used some liberty in using a similar sounding but different meaning of the middle book in my stack.

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