Limerick for Woden's-day*

Peculiarly stumped as we are
spinning millions of miles from a star
we're perhaps at our best
when we give it a rest –
just accept: to exist is bizarre.

Letting nothing escape but one fact
which cannot be much softened by tact –
that we haven't a clue
why we're here, or why you
or why I haven’t totally cracked –

we persist nonetheless in pursuing
our passionate wants: in so doing
we conjure up love
like a dove-smitten dove
or a cow who enjoys her own mooing:

and although there’s no start and no end
to these reeling perplexities: send
us a bit of a verse
and we’ll use it to curse
the great dark for a time, and suspend

disbelief for a little while more
and imagine that we can explore
and discover some truth
‘til the Universe (ruth-
less!) indifferently shows us the door.

= = = =

*Wednesday (Woden's-day) is named after Woden/Wotan (Odin):
Father and ruler of the gods and mortals; god of war, learning,
poetry and the dead



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