Hi Frank,
It's fascinating what you're saying about "same-same"!
It might be interesting if you know where in the world "same-same" works OK,
and where it doesn't - it doesn't work for me in the UK...
I guess it's a sort of interesting reflection on the golobalisation of the
english language: english that works smoothly in one place and yet feels
awkward in another...
And I'm wondering if "hatted old men" might sound better as "old men in
hats" to you too?
Bob


>From: Frank Faust <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: sub - or what? (kirby allen poem #5 of 6 to date)
>Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2003 11:02:25 +1000
>
>or what?
>
>you know
>when you come into a place for the first time
>a house or a forest
>or a small coastal town
>it's all about cataloguing
>
>newness and familiarity
>difference and same-same
>a crowd of sensory impressions to sift
>and sort
>before you get down to the real stuff
>things you notice
>that make it unique
>special or crap
>or just nothing
>
>this town was like that for me
>
>slow like a village
>with a handful of cars
>nose to curb
>in the main street
>
>slow moving locals
>still shouting to the newspaper man
>as they leave the shop
>or standing in a crowd
>of two
>in the middle of the footpath
>blocking traffic
>to discuss the football raffle
>on saturday
>
>hatted old men
>ocean-going matrons
>receding hairlines
>prams bearing pensive chocolate faces
>gorged into stupor
>shorts and thongs
>on bitter days
>
>friendly to itself
>askance at strangers
>and always an eye on the weather
>wind and water
>the crays and the fish
>
>nothing to hint
>what lies
>beyond the shallows
>
>so
>are you just passing through
>or what
>
>or what
>I guess

_________________________________________________________________
Sign-up for a FREE BT Broadband connection today!
http://www.msn.co.uk/specials/btbroadband