Things That Thrill You

Nothing to read for escapism or dreams,

only Arthur Mee’s Encyclopaedia printed

before World War II taken with me when

I went for coffee - printed in 1933 - joy in

Britain about Broadcasting House and the

BBC, commemorate listening to news of

the King’s demise, marvelling at the new

technology, the main announcer being the

most loved voice in the British Isles

Told commiserating colleagues of my dire

lack of reading matter - An outrage - they

exclaimed, having to read that old book -

I described a new scene in my Government

opera where former official’s souls are stuck

in an eternal Indaba held in the Government

Valhalla, all stoppering their ghostly ears with

ectoplasm as a long-winded Chief Director

delivers an interminable speech

This is a scene in hell! - they exclaimed and

ran away - My point exactly - I told their re-

treating backs; returned to my desk to read

my guru’s advice – ‘Being happy is the cor-

nerstone of your being, choose things that

thrill you’ – writing my Opera thrills me, but

anglicising French texts on how politicians

bankrupted a country in Africa does not,

they destroyed their own soul

Like a snake swallowing itself