Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Page 1 of 2 1 2 >
Topic Options
#208740 - 01/05/13 12:59 PM - -- "grooks"
LukeJavan8 Online   sleepy
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 5270
Loc: Land of the Flat Water

Distilled Spirits

When Germany occupied Denmark in 1940, physicist Piet Hein published an innocent-seeming poem:

Losing one glove
is certainly painful,
but nothing compared to the pain
of losing one,
throwing away the other,
and finding the first one again.

The German censors let it go, not understanding its meaning -- that while enduring occupation was bad, ceasing to resist would be worse. "It said that what happens to you from outside is less important than how you take it," he explained later. "The Danes knew what I meant."

In later years Hein cultivated a talent for such tiny aphoristic poems, which he called "grooks":

Problems worthy
of attack
prove their worth
by hitting back.

There is
one art,
no more,
no less:
to do
all things
with art-
lessness.

The road to wisdom? -- Well, it's plain
and simple to express:
Err
and err
and err again
but less
and less
and less.

Put up in a place
where it's easy to see
the cryptic admonishment
T.T.T.
When you feel how depressingly
slowly you climb,
it's well to remember that
Things Take Time.

In all he wrote more 7,000 grooks, which have become a part of Scandinavian culture. "I cannot really say where my activity as a scientist ends and where my activity as a man of letters begins," he said. "Whether I am writing a poem or solving some technical problem, I think the same."
_________________________
----please, draw me a sheep----

Top
#208750 - 01/06/13 12:28 AM Re: - -- "grooks" [Re: LukeJavan8]
Avy Offline
old hand

Registered: 06/23/00
Posts: 724
Really, really, really wonderful and much needed post Luke. Thank you for sharing.

Top
#208751 - 01/06/13 02:24 AM Counter Grooks. A new thread? [Re: LukeJavan8]
jenny jenny Offline
addict

Registered: 06/05/10
Posts: 611
Loc: Lower Aberdeen, Mississippi
Put up in a place
where it's easy to see
the cryptic admonishment
T.T.T.
When you feel how depressingly
slowly you climb,
it's well to remember that
Things Take Time.
__________________________________

Put up in a place
You donna wanna be
The dynamite explosive
T.N.T.
And if you feel explosive
As you climb,
Be sure to remember that
Time Negates Time.

Top
#208758 - 01/06/13 12:16 PM Re: - -- "grooks" [Re: Avy]
LukeJavan8 Online   sleepy
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 5270
Loc: Land of the Flat Water
Originally Posted By: Avy
Really, really, really wonderful and much needed post Luke. Thank you for sharing.


Just ran across it and was intrigued myself, thought others
might appreciate it. You're welcome.
_________________________
----please, draw me a sheep----

Top
#208759 - 01/06/13 12:18 PM Re: Counter Grooks. A new thread? [Re: jenny jenny]
LukeJavan8 Online   sleepy
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 5270
Loc: Land of the Flat Water
Put up in a place
You donna wanna be
The dynamite explosive
T.N.T.
And if you feel explosive
As you climb,
Be sure to remember that
Time Negates Time.



Very nice addition.


Edited by LukeJavan8 (01/06/13 12:18 PM)
_________________________
----please, draw me a sheep----

Top
#208925 - 01/11/13 12:25 AM Re: Counter Grooks. A new thread? [Re: LukeJavan8]
Jackie Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 03/15/00
Posts: 11578
Loc: Louisville, Kentucky
These are cool, Luke.

Top
#208934 - 01/11/13 12:48 PM Re: Counter Grooks. A new thread? [Re: Jackie]
LukeJavan8 Online   sleepy
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 5270
Loc: Land of the Flat Water
smile
_________________________
----please, draw me a sheep----

Top
#208935 - 01/11/13 12:55 PM Re: Counter Grooks. A new thread? [Re: Jackie]
Buffalo Shrdlu Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 06/24/02
Posts: 7184
Loc: Vermont
Originally Posted By: Jackie
These are cool, Luke.


Give him a Hand.

:¬ )
_________________________
formerly known as etaoin...

Top
#208936 - 01/11/13 12:57 PM Re: Counter Grooks. A new thread? [Re: Buffalo Shrdlu]
LukeJavan8 Online   sleepy
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 5270
Loc: Land of the Flat Water
Thanks, but they're not from my head.
Found them and just thought I'd share.
_________________________
----please, draw me a sheep----

Top
#208937 - 01/11/13 01:03 PM Re: Counter Grooks. A new thread? [Re: LukeJavan8]
Buffalo Shrdlu Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 06/24/02
Posts: 7184
Loc: Vermont
I know, I was just playing with Cool Hand Luke.

:¬ )
_________________________
formerly known as etaoin...

Top
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >


Moderator:  Jackie 
Forum Stats
8419 Members
16 Forums
13685 Topics
209703 Posts

Max Online: 3341 @ 12/09/11 02:15 PM
Newest Members
Stephen A, fgjhgjk, Nora Francis, sabosophie, Lore Lorena
8419 Registered Users
Who's Online
0 registered (), 21 Guests and 2 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters (30 Days)
LukeJavan8 84
jenny jenny 67
wofahulicodoc 45
endymion6 44
BranShea 36
Rhubarb Commando 25
Buffalo Shrdlu 19
Faldage 17
Jackie 16
tsuwm 15
May
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31

Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 2013 Wordsmith