22 October 2012

Sloth

"La Paresse" by Félix Vallotton (1865 – 1925)
Sloth 

Quiet in the canopy
I move in slow-mo.
After rain, I notice the jungle
Steaming.
After dark, I notice the jaguar
Breathing.
I eat leaves and shoots
And once a week 
I shit.

Quiet beneath the duvet
I listen to traffic.
After ten, I stumble to the bathroom
Dreaming.
Afternoon, I fumble in the kitchen
Yawning.
I eat toast and fruits
And once a day 
I shit.

10 comments:

  1. I started to read it YP but just couldn't be bothered

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  2. Hi Mr. Pudding. I am so sorry that you are having a bad day. You must be, right? After reading your sloth poem a couple of times, I think I understand it, but I still don't "get" it. I just don't identify with your definition of sloth! Or slothiness! Oh, well. Each to their own!

    (By the way, if they only shit once a week, can you imagine what their sex lives must be like!! Must take them a damn month to complete that task, what?)

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  3. RHYMES WITH... "Shit" is an unpleasant word with which we are all familiar. South American sloths only leaves the safety of their trees once a week to defecate. When a human being is slothful, essential physical functions take on increased significance. Please understand that the second "I" isn't me.
    EARL GRAY Slothful sod!
    MOUNTAIN THYME Of course neither of the I's in the poem refer to me. The poem is simply "about" the sloths of South America and the sin of sloth in fragmented western society - a certain aimlessness. Regarding sloth sex - I am sure it lasts for ages if they can be bothered to find a partner. They probably fall asleep in the middle of the fun.

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  4. It takes more effort than that to achieve regularity after you're 60.

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  5. Apples. Kiwifruit. All-bran.

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  6. Five pints of Tetley's and a lamb bhuna with vegetable rice works every time.

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  7. No word in and of itself is unpleasant. Words are merely symbols for things. In my day, however, certain Anglo-Saxon words for body parts and bodily functions were simply unacceptable in polite society and were always replaced with Latinate equivalents (urinate, defecate, copulate, and so forth). I do realize that my day ended long ago, but I still cling to my fantasies of how the world ought to be.

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  8. No word in and of itself is unpleasant. Words are merely symbols for things. In my day, however, certain Anglo-Saxon words for body parts and bodily functions were simply unacceptable in polite society and were always replaced with Latinate equivalents (urinate, defecate, copulate, and so forth). I do realize that my day ended long ago, but I still cling to my fantasies of how the world ought to be.

    ReplyDelete
  9. RHYMES WITH...Naturally I was aware of such sensibilities when I deliberately opted for that word.

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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