Some grooks, by Piet Heine

A few 'grooks,' by poet Piet Heine: Perceptive, poetic observations that never stay long enough to outstay their welcome.

PROBLEMS

Problems worthy
of attack
prove their worth
by hitting back.

CONSOLATION GROOK

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.

OMNISCIENCE

Knowing what
thou knowest not
is in a sense
omniscience.

MANKIND

Men, said the Devil,
are good to their brothers:
they don’t want to mend
their own ways, but each other's.

DREAM INTERPRETATION
Simplified.

Everything's either
concave or -vex,
so whatever you dream
will be something with sex.

PRAYER
to the sun above the clouds.

Sun that givest all things birth,
shine on everything on earth!

If that's too much to demand,
shine at least on this our land.

If even that's too much for thee,
shine at any rate on me.

CIRCUMSCRIPTURE

As Pastor X steps out of bed
he slips a neat disguise on:
that halo round his priestly head
is really his horizon.

THE ROAD TO WISDOM

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

GROOK ON LONG-WINDED AUTHORS

Long-winded writers I abhor,
and glib, prolific chatters;
give me the ones who tear and gaw
their hair and pens to tatters:
who find their writing such a chore
they only write what matters.

ON AN ASHTRAY

When your thirst
and hunger cease,
may your ashes
rest in peace.

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