Science-faction Mr Jones was younger than the headmaster, and let us use fountain pens instead of those dipping nibs. First I had a debacle with the iron filings, and I didn't have a valid experience of magnetic field nor dipole, until 40. He asked us after Sputnix to do a project about Space. A piece of turquoise paper to fold for the cover. and black inside. Drawing around a reel of sticky tape I made a circle to cut away, revealing constellations splattered on with white paint. Messily - I was only nine. At home we weren't allowed to cut up magazines and newspapers, I don't know why, so Mr Jones said there's too much empty space in your homework Kathryn and I jutted my chin © Kathy Labrum McVittie 26 November 2024 I may have disappointed not only Mr Jones but also Sanaa at dVerse Poets, who is encouraging us to celebrate science fiction in our poetry tonight. Way back in 1963 science fact was stranger than its fiction and I had a blur between the fantastical and the imaginal, the magical... Plus ca change.
Poetry challenge from dVerse on Sci-Fi
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Ha! Leads to a most amusing ending…but evokes a childhood I recognise, when space was seen as the final frontier..
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Yes, a final frontier put there entirely for our entertainment. As is: humans conquer al l…
Nowadays – having learnt more about cosmology, and even tutored some planetary science – I treat the expanse of the Universe with even more awe and wonderment. And the counsel of the Moon and stars… well there’s another story.
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How can there be too much space on a project about space?
Mr Jones should have seen what we see today about the void we have around us.
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I think he was more concerned about my non-engagement with His Project Idea. I was one of the brightest kids academically but I found “projects” hard, especially if they involved practical input or taking the initiative socially.
Perhaps I was a Nerd at nine! By twenty-nine I was incubating my very own baby-Nerd – or Geek as he prefers to be known… He – at nine – invented the (idea of) the Hover-Bag for transporting heavy schoolbooks or holiday equipment… He now writes open-source (therefore freely shared) software for a living…
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I love the “debacle with iron filings” 😀 I used to teach physics, and there was always one kid, no matter how many times you warned them, who would create a mess with iron filings.
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My own debacle i( perhaps not the best word) involved fear of spilling the, “spoiling the experiment” and making a mess. So I had a lot of anxiety about “getting things wrong”, and ” earning from experience”. Still working on the practical consequences of my risk aversion… !
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I love “a debacle with the iron filings,” and was reminded of physics class many moons ago! Thank you so much for writing to the prompt 🩷🩷
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I enjoyed it – and appreciate your leniency with me for being a bit off topic. I was really wowed by others’ self- expressions in this milieu / genre. I guess our being poets really raises the bar of achievement and sharing. I LOVE dVerse – what a great community!
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