Dr Fixit (4451 - 4460)

4451

‘the ants are at fault for they said: “Eat wood;

not eat it along with the leafage and roots.”

The argument swings up and down but society

is in serious confusion and jeopardy.

Now,’ I tried expatiating, ‘the crux

of the chaos in society is the plots

initiated by one human against the other

which saw a race troop in a large number

elsewhere to dominate and better their lot.

Years later, everyone regrets what they got.

 

4452

‘The humans from abroad told every native

you’re nude and garments superlative

like us, you must wear to cover your chest

down to your feet like leaves cover the forest.

When the humans here followed suit,

the humans there are now in pursuit

of nudeness. They can dress anyhow they like,

they say. For every bared part that may excite,

they tell you to have self-control as it’s a free globe;

if anything irritates you, learn to cope.

 

4453

‘The natives walked nude for their exposed parts

didn’t excite them but when in their hearts

excitement was sown, isn’t it sad they’re being

taught otherwise? And a strange thing too we’ve seen.

Who crossed the raging seas to preach God

now says the concept is utter sod.

Humans gladly accept they’re products

of accident than beings of noble conduct

whose mould is of intelligent design.

“From animals we evolved” is the line

4454

‘that forms the hammer of confusion

which breaks the bones and cripples motion.’

My aide was in rapt attention.

The rainwater spilt around like the ocean.

I told Crookedmouthit further: ‘“Confusion”

is a noun and “breaks” a verb (the word of action)

and “bones” a noun (these are parts of speech).’

I mentioned the others and how each

is a microcosm of the English Language,

the macrocosm, which is like a facial image

 

4455

and microcosms would be the parts like the eyes,

nose, mouth, ear, etcetera. On the tiles

a raindrop bounced and splashed my pants.

Outside, the wind heckled the plants.

I brushed the wet spots off and I went ahead

with my chat. ‘Now, the phrase I had said

was targeted at both the colonizers

and their language. In the hearts of the speakers

of the language worldwide, chaos was sown –

one word two petty spellings may own.

 

4456

‘C-O-L-O-R is American spelling

and C-O-L-O-U-R is British for same thing.

Write the latter in America and those who teach

the language would mark you wrong. Same with the British

if your spelling is the former.

To this question I seek an honest answer:

why can’t native speakers across the Atlantic

drop their disagreement and be pragmatic

to adopt uniform spelling for every word?

The friction is rather petty and absurd.’

4457

I remembered I had a pupil before me so

I turned my attention to let him know

the fundamentals of English

as seen in every text and speech.

‘Before I digress, C-O-L-O-U-R is colour

as F-L-A-V-O-U-R is pronounced flavour.

This country was colonized by the British

so people here mimic their writing and speech

though some folks don’t know which to take or ditch

as technology what Americans teach

 

4458

‘constantly places on the screens of phones,

computers; and the TVs show them in the homes.’

I didn’t wait for my aide to point out

words before I would then help him out.

I delved into showing words for actions,

that is, verbs and their connotations.

‘When humans pick from the bush logs or wood

and take these home to make fire and heat their food,

they cook. Cook,’ I ask him to repeat

the word after me. Gladly, he did.

 

4459

‘And when their constant taking of wood

from the forest does menacingly intrude

on the habitats of animals and insects

which also poses to them a great threat,

the word for that is “deforestation”.’

‘Deforestation,’ he put what he learnt into action.

Being an advanced learner, simplification

was uncalled for but where I hit realization

he was lost, like kids in kindergarten

playfully building blocks in the garden

4460

or playground, I would guide him

till the light of knowledge from dim

transformed to bright. (Old-school format

drills knowledge into a learner with a rap

with the knuckles or a dreadful-looking whip.

But play with new school is the hip.)

‘The rain has stopped,’ I said

and in Antish explained to my aide.

I made him repeat the phrase

after the explanation. Then, we did retrace