My first word
was an odd word
Peculiar in its place
Unusual and irregular
Difficult to trace
It was there
to change the outcome
And direction
of the point
Though in its way misleading
to shabbily disjoint
A barricade
to explanation
Which at once
was good and bad
But when it came
to chance beginnings
It was the only word I had
A little whisper
in the ear
to be passed
along the line
Changing slightly
as it flows
Which then begins
to redefine
There is
no simple reason
Why these methods
will, prevail
Until absurdities
are verified
Or we discount
The untried tale
If what you hear
upsets you
With ideas that
make you cry
You have a right
to not be guided
Without proof
One must ask why
How to effectively counter a conspiracy theory:
1. Stay Calm and Respectful: Approach the conversation with a calm demeanour and respect for the person’s beliefs.
2. Hostility can reinforce their views. Listen Actively: Understand their perspective and concerns. This helps you address their specific fears and misconceptions.
3. Use Credible Sources: Provide facts from reputable sources. Use scientific studies, expert opinions, or credible news outlets to support your counterarguments.
4. Encourage Critical Thinking: Ask open-ended questions encouraging them to think critically about their beliefs. For example, “What evidence supports that idea?” or “Have you considered the opposite perspective?”
5. Identify Logical Fallacies: Gently point out any logical inconsistencies in the theory. Explain why certain claims don’t hold up under scrutiny.
6. Share Personal Stories: If applicable, share personal experiences or narratives that illustrate the reality of the situation, making it relatable.
7. Focus on Common Values: Find common ground and focus on shared values or concerns, helping to establish a connection based on mutual understanding.
8. Be Patient: Changing deeply held beliefs takes time. Don’t expect instant results; instead, be available for ongoing discussions.
9. Know When to Withdraw: If the conversation becomes unproductive or hostile, be willing to walk away. Only some discussions will lead to a change in belief.
These strategies can help create a more constructive dialogue around conspiracy theories.
She felt a draught when entering
Inside that heated room
Which brought on a new uneasiness
A densely covered cloud of gloom
Pointless making contact yet
There could be no one she would know
No friendship group like-mindedness
Without shared ideas to sow
Her silence then enveloped her
This state of now gave off no thrill
Until that half smile and a friendly nod
Sweetened up that bitter pill
The wind is thrashing up a storm
Leaves are prancing on the trees
Like a broad brush on a canvas
Full of past-shaped refugees
Everything seems muddled up
In a senseless weather bend
Forms of storms upsetting norms
Too fierce to comprehend
Feel the silence slow descending
As the weather passed away
Buried in a future tempest scream
Within sad memories of today
When first the human voice was thrown
Across the land and sea
The weight of worthy listening
Came from the throat of the BBC
It has been the campus of the people
Allowing focus on decision
From the finest forms of intellect
With articulate precision
But for me a lonesome little guy
Who sought a map on which to tour
Finding education by attendance
On finest journeys to explore
The rhyme celebrates the impact of the BBC as a pioneering broadcasting service, highlighting its significance in shaping public discourse and culture through radio and television. It emphasizes the power of the human voice in communication and the responsibility that comes with it. The mention of "worthy listening" suggests that the content produced by the BBC is not just entertainment but also valuable and informative, reflecting its role in responsible journalism and public broadcasting. Overall, it's a tribute to the influence of the BBC in connecting people and facilitating dialogue.
In between abundant causes
Are the pathways to effects
Which places causes in the past
Precursors to what’s next
The question is in spite of this
When the cause becomes effect
In itself a weird conundrum
Nonetheless, they still connect
I suppose it could be fair to say
In the beginning, was the cause
Since then it's been 'effects' in charge
That precludes another cause
Though in the end, one must agree
If all effects diminish
There can only be one final cause
To effect a lasting finish
Somewhere in the somewhere else
As yet we’re not sure where
We’re an edgy species travelling
Looking for a fairer share
The more we know brings on disquiet
Feeding on our discontent
To comprehend the different dangers
Which through our conquests circumvent
In waves, the give-and-take persists
To cause chaotic distribution
What once was there is now elsewhere
So what is now is no solution
The system is predicting
Unsettling times for now
Although the weather
Is behaving
It’s building up a row
The inland rising temperatures
Are giving some concern
Not good to take on too much sun
Danger, danger if you burn
The levels rise and worry us
As nature plans to reestablish
Greedy mouths have had too much
It’s time to give it back to fish
Was there ever a grander rascal
Like the one who got away
Owing so much money
Not a penny would he pay
From his early days discovering
How the law was such an ass
He rode the legal process
Where writs and summonses amass
Much loved by all the losers
Who live their lives by getting by
A band of handout hangers-on
Who lacked the confidence to fly
What they failed to notice
In communications slickly spoke
There would be no laughing punchline
He was just a smutty joke
Reassured and sitting calmly
In undemanding cosiness
Biding time in relaxation
Free of any solemn stress
In my head, there is a
Flowing steady where it will
Sweeping out the worthless dust
Creating leeway to infill
Not looking for replacements
Restricting look-alikes
Unconcerned with storylines
Where the partial finish strikes
I’ve made a promise to the page
To discover sixteen forms
Of sentences requiring
Much less intense than cuneiform
Before we go let’s take a dram
That rings the strident bells
Blending many flavours from
The Scottish Whiskey wells
Where the waters of the moorlands
Captured in the Scottish fells
Contrive to blend a famous whiskey
For goodnights and farewells
In a gathering of cask savours
When the weather brings on snow
We’ll share a little snifter
When bells ring it’s time to go
Enigmatic entities
That drives our place in space
Subject to spontaneous
Creating wormholes at apace
We’re on the way to other times
Where the dates are inconclusive
Though deciding on a travel plan
Remains as yet elusive
Our dreams of going to and fro
Undeniably compelling
Convolutions not yet understood
So right now, no way of telling
Darkness has a gentle way
Of turning into night
Then quietly it ebbs away
To make room for the light
That’s the way it is each day
The East and West divide
Out of synchronicity
With the turning of the tide
Ever since the water’s edge
Offering time to think again
Of other ways back home
‘Now’ is where you realise
That being is a quest
Working with the rule of four
Where solutions are expressed
Thinking future possibilities
A game of past and planning
Now and Then and Coming Soon
With lessons learned by scanning
If you find by hand as reading this
You’ll get ideas on future cast
Though prospects work on bit by bit
Where looking back is in the past
Artistic writing is imagining
Free thinking by the rules
Like a symphony of sentences
On the tail of precious jewels
Words much more than characters
Elevates a brand-new age
Notation captivation stirred
Fulfils a waiting page
Descriptions bright encryptions
From a box of secret signs
Something not yet thought about
To direct and realign
Alan Turing found a wily way
To break a hidden code
Which in turn brought transformation
Rousing automation to explode
Like a supersonic rocket
Calculations would compute
Providing awesome revelations
Unaware what might impute
Impossible to estimate
The many dangers unforeseen
Providing waves of super slaves
No manual handlers to demean
It was suddenly uncovered
From the fruits of money trees
That the working class no longer
Was the poorest on their knees
What will the greedy hungry do
With massive wealth, they cannot spend
But fill the churches helplessly
Where Cornucopia Brings ‘The End’
Eyesight we’re told
fades away
Invariably down
to our age
Causing a squint
when scanning a print
Or adjustments
when turning a page
When light is reduced
Then likewise our sight
Is like hiding
in corners unlit
Just as muscles grow slack
Causing pain in the back
Our peepers excused
as unfit
Why does the sun
Which is fixed out in space
Seem apparent
As if by decree
I suspect that the sun
Has discovered like me
To get a rise out of
Drinking some tea
Is this why that tea
In the morning
Gives my teapot
Good things to do
Cosy and warm
Like the sunlight
A toasty accompaniment brew
Is it my fate to follow my feet
Anywhere they get up to go
Do they decide if we walk, or we ride
If they do, then how do they know
Some days my feet are beyond me
Impatient they don’t care to wait
Who knows if my toes are tagging along
If my feet are defining their fate
Surely selecting the style of my shoes
Adding comfort and bounce more of late
Distracting my stand-up positions
Finding places in fate more sedate
I must confess to being épris
With the influence of French
So many language parallèles
In spoken Anglais we entrench
It’s not the verb or how we say it
Or acknowledged similarité
In private when we tête-à-tête
Dip in our out conveniently
Sel et poivre sprinkled tastefully
Elegantly we purvey
A sort of twisted doublespeak
Indulge Anglais Français parlais
What a truly marvellous event: Viva La France
A magic motivator
Spellbound passing by
A broomstick calculator
On the lighter side of high
With Hubble Bubbly content
Of snappy Cookbook remedies
Can cast a witch-way condiment
In a range of potpourris
With black cat-style charisma
She has a warlock way with words
Colour coding the miasma
Turning crow's feet into birds
Writing stuff on purpose
Is not my favourite game
I struggle when I have to think
Avoiding trite and tame
Bunkum would seem better
Than melancholy sides of me
As then it seems I ask too much
Of obligation poetry
Thankfully I get another shot
Revisiting in hindsight
Making nuanced alterations
With the benefit of mindsight
