The Irish and the English

Rhyme and Reason

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The Irish, given the choice between rhyme and reason would plump for rhyme, we have rhyme in music, song and words, the English would plump for reason. Rhyme without reason is a form of madness, and reason, cold hearted reason on its own can lead to the worst excesses Europe has seen. Both, when they plumb their depths, are vile and deadly. At their height, they represent greatness.

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When are they at their greatest? When they contain, what may be called, in common parlance, a bit of the other. (The English produced Shakespeare, the Irish split the atom). Rhyme and reason should be one, they and we should be friends and more than friends.

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The story of our lives we write may be comedy, love story or tragedy, depending on whether we come together or apart. Remember the Beatles’ song, Come Together? Is that an injunction, a celebration an acceptance or a request? Whatever, it is beautiful music.

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Shall I eat my words or will you? We are what we read, in so many or so few words, whatever that means.

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Let these words be spoken, meaninglessness is meaningless, meaning is all, and meaning is when rhyme and reason are one.

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The Irish, at their worst, are drunks, sometimes literally, but I speak metaphorically, drunk on words, if not alcohol. The English at their worst are zombies, the living dead, dead to feeling, all thought and calculation and no emotion. They are all heart (physical), the Irish are all soul (spiritual). This is these people at their worst.

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What happens when a drunkard meets a zombie? They attempt to slaughter each other.

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At their worst, the Irish are all style and no content, the English are the other way around. Meaning comes from a mixture of style and content. Either without the other is meaningless.

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What should happen when an Irishman meets an Englishman? The Irishman should say “Have a drink on me” and the Englishman should say “Spare a thought for thought”. Sharing a drink together with no thought for tomorrow they are as happy as Larry, enjoying each others company.

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The dreamer dreams. The thoughtful man puts dreams into effect. May dreams come true.

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David (four asterisks)

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