Looking at symbols

The trouble with symbols

is that they are a necessary evil;

and there are so many now,

thirty one million, two hundred

and sixty eight at last count, (sic,)

red octagons my least preferred,

the variable 'x', in a mathematical

equation, my all time favourite.

Though the 'golden arches,'

comes a close second when

a sudden hunger pang strikes.

Sometimes, I ponder an

oblate spheroid without a

back up, then chide myself

for not knowing its shape;

that squiggly lines on a map,

would simply remain squiggly lines

leading to goodness knows where,

semiotics and constitutive rhetoric  

being something I only touched on

and which held little interest,

unlike the poetry I read and love.

One day, I will invent a symbol,

do my bit, as it were.

Perhaps a combination of a

'badgers crossing,' road sign and

the 'all-seeing eye of providence,'

which I would imbue with magic

powers, so I could drive as fast as I

desired on winding country roads.

Secure in the knowledge that

henceforth, badgers would be

safe from the vagaries

of my vehicular progression

after closing time.

Yes, that's it! That's the one,

so I shall get busy on the

design this instant.

I mean, where I live, aside

from two really nice pubs, 

there are an awful lot of 

badgers roaming the roads,

and like many a symbol
they are jolly hard

to see in the dark.  :))

Reviews

[Jibey]

I loved reading this refreshing spillage of ideas about all-pervading symbols - now also icons - in our lives. Acronyms are another feature of daily life these days, including chat abbreviations, which I often struggle to work out the meaning of... wyd? ttfn.. When lol started to be used it took me a while to work it out!

Badgers are such lumbering creatures - but I am very fond of them, mainly because of 'Wind in the Willows!

I enjoyed emmajoy's review as well. She is so right-on. ttfn.

[Lydia Shutter]

What a cute write this is....our lives are full of symbols, that's for sure. It's amazing how many of them we all recognize! I liked this one, Beccy. Lydi**

[lakinbob]

Quirky on the surface, but the message contained is unmistakable, and you are so right about that red octagon stop sign, big brother is increasingly controlling our lives.

Great read.

[Robert Trakofler]

Surely the badgers would appreciate this effort:) I have never been very good at symbols unless they are the kind in a drum set oh for those many days of algebraic addlement LOL! but me thinks you make your marks in a few other ways rather than just road sign symbols dear Beccy

[gram linski]

what a mad wonderful wandering poem, Beccy, seeking that mathematical formula of life, unfortunately the only badgers I see on the roads are dead ones, great poem,

[emmajoy]

' .. simply remain squiggly lines - leading to goodness knows where, - semiotics and - constitutive rhetoric - being something I only touched on - and which held little interest, -
unlike the poetry I read and love.'

You have extraordinary power when you raise a newly sharpened pencil, Beccy. Or, perhaps. think of it as a blade to cut down the 'nothing really important' , focus on what means something to you, and, you alone. There are far too many signs in life; they want to control our thinking. They re visual but static Big Brothers, instructing our need for self thought twinned with thought for universal and documented common sense. Thou shall move stealthily and soberly.. you know how.. choose how, do it properly. Perhaps reading tween Beccy's learned acceptance of right and wrong, plus her imaginative free.loving will. So much of this post shows the you you are. This I could come back to over and over again. Brilliantly prepared and posted.

[Willys Watson]

I really love this verse. And, yes, far too many symbols in our lives and symbols representing even more symbols.

[Eilis]

This is cute, Beccy, but also the deeper meaning lurks there. The meta world we have created where symbols have symbols have symbols and we need more than one language to understand some of the simplest things.

And the fact that very few of our symbols are universal. This furthers the conundrum of communications. I had to study semiotics in my graduate history work and that was quite mind twisty. The fact that we have languages to explain our languages and they are not easy for the layperson to translate independently creates an interesting dynamic to my mind.

Communication is a simple thing, but we are complex creatures and seem to find some comfort in our ability to explain and expound. Even if it means leaving a lot of our fellow men outside the thought.

Your badger sign sounds great, haha. Will have a think about my own unique sign. Seems there are endless options or possibilities. Great poem.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Jolly hard to see in the dark----absolutely. And the squirrels are either daring as hell, or they are just stupid.
they look like they are crossing the road getting out of the way, then turn around and run under the tires.
I had a symbol of bad luck once...my Black Tom Cat Frank...but he lived 19 years and was a gentle soul...was that bad luck? I don't think so...
and as in your poem "x" is a wonderful symbol, not only in math equations but "x" marks the spot...
brand x...x out my name off the list...
i am a symbolic poet...writing allegories on "X" number of pages...
"X" cellent write Beccy....
I feel like a Big Mac.