I Sit and Think

By luigi_pagano

Sun, 20 Feb 2022
  • 647 reads
8 comments
 

I sit beside the fire and think
of the news I've read;
that Russia may invade Ukraine
has filled me with dread.

I sit on a garden bench
underneath the wisteria
and learn that Putin
has said it's all hysteria.

I watch the TV and think
of how safe the world would be
if everyone stopped trying
to achieve supremacy.

There are some politicians
who have no sense of shame
and use so-called diplomacy
just like a kind of game.

I sit and think of an incident
that everyone knows
when two powerful nations
very nearly came to blows.

Both Nikita and JFK
wished to be the master
in the Cuban missile crisis
that was almost a disaster.

But while I sit and think
of things that went on before
I would hate to contemplate
the prospect of an encore.

 

© Luigi Pagano 2022

A parody of J.J. Tolkien's "I Sit Beside the Fire and Think"
https://genius.com/J-r-r-tolkien-i-sit-beside-the-fire-annotated

 

 

Certificate U
Poem
Mutevoli pensieri
Rant
Historical Fiction

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

I'll join you in that thought Luigi! Really like the pic

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

A thought that should occupy the mind of world leaders but unfortunately doesn't, Claudine.
The picture is from Pixabay.

Luigi x

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

You know I'd never read that Tolkien poem, and googled it and found it quite fascinating and thoughtul, though in a totally different way from your parody!

Your piece though is thoughtful and catches much of the deep concerns.

I supppose it is difficult to know of fears in other cultures that are sometimes causes rather than simply being aggressive – therefore so much need for thoughtful talks, really trying to get to know 'the other side' which is always complicated by language barriers and understanding of historic issues and  grievence. perceived differently by different nations.

Rhiannon

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

That lovely poem by Tolkien pondering about pleasing aspects of nature captured my imagination and I decided that by imitating his style I could express thoughts of a different kind about a current political situation fraught with danger.
I agree with your assessment that fear and insecurity could give rise to aggressiveness and that there is a need to overcome language barriers and to understand other nations' cultures

Luigi x.

 

Submitted by David Kirtley on

Your poem seems very apt in the crisis at the moment. There is a feeling that the two sides (or more?) really don't understand what each other wants. We in the West are certainly not quite understanding what Putin is so upset about or what solution he really wants. What we do know is that he seems to be playing a very dangerous game 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Confronted with the current Russia/Ukraine situation my reaction is one of bewilderment. I feel like Manuel in “ Fawlty Towers” who, when he doesn't understand the question, says: ¿Qué?
With my limited knowledge of politics, I believe that one side wants what the other side strongly objects to and no one wants to give way. What's next? Watch this space!
 devil

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Old men with broken teeth stranded without love, sometimes I sits and I thinks, sometimes I just sits.

 

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

You are not wrong there, Tom. They do.

 Cheers.