Lawrence Hall
Dispatches for the Colonial Office
The Jordan and the Chao Praya
Rivers of healing
Upon which we send
our prayers
And hopes: Loy
Kathrong
Thursday, November 6, 2025
The Jordan and the Chao Praya - poem
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
A Sir Philip Sidney Moment with a Rubbish Bin, but not a Red Rubbish Bin - poem
Lawrence Hall
Dispatches for the Colonial Office
A Sir Philip Sidney Moment
With a Rubbish Bin, but not a Red Rubbish Bin
After the passing of afternoon storms
A quiet moment of reflection at dusk
Our Lady Moon shone high above the trees
Sailing among the last sun-glowing clouds
I addressed the Moon as the goddess she is
Speaking of dreams, and asked her to pray for me
But suddenly she danced behind the mist
In playful teasing, or in stern disapproval
Perhaps one should not address our Lady Moon
While rolling household garbage to the end of the lane
Sir Philip Sidney, “Astrophel and Stella 31”
William Carlos Williams, “The Red Wheelbarrow”
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Where are the Frogs of Spring? - poem
Lawrence Hall
Dispatches for the Colonial Office
Where are the Frogs of Spring?
-as John Keats never said
Ay,
where are they? This October is summer-sour
And
drowsy frogs are singing out for rain
Croakery-croaking
sadly by the hour
Invoking
God for a shower, but still in vain
The
grass is withered and sere, the ground is dust
Bees
gather ‘round each desiccated bloom
Seeking
nectar but finding only crust
For
their colony-hive on the cusp of doom
Where
are the rains of October, then –
And
the frosts? Ay, where are they? Where, and when?
We Need to Talk - poem
Lawrence Hall
Dispatches for the Colonial Office
We Need to Talk
When a woman says, “we need to talk”
A man’s complexion pales; he begins to sweat
His spine of stern chilled steel becomes chilled mush
As he examines his conscience in anticipation of doom
Her talk will not be of puppies or cups of tea
Or how the flowers are bedded in for autumn
Of the curious news from the Bering Strait
Nor yet of ships or sealing wax or kings
Oh, no – “we need to talk” means that he will be silent
As she posts to the docket his most recent crimes
Line 8 – cf. Lewis, Carroll, “The Walrus and the Carpenter”
How Many Languages of Happiness Do You Speak? - poem
Lawrence Hall
Dispatches for the Colonial Office
How Many Languages of Happiness Do You Speak?
In how
many languages, then, do you
Sing
Sigh
Whisper
Breathe
Work
Love
Dream
Hope
Laugh
Comfort
And
sometimes chide
I
want to hear all of them from you
(Except
maybe the chide)
Oop! I Forgot to Attend the Revolution - poem
Lawrence Hall
Dispatches for the Colonial Office
Oops - I Forgot to Attend the Revolution
From an idea by Scarlet
You haven’t yet received your check from George?
I would have thought that his Dark Web of Power
Would have been more efficient than that
But getting good spies is so difficult these days
Did I mention that he was by the house on Friday?
We sat on the lawn with drinks and cigars
Counting the autumn fireflies flickering at dusk
I guess his plan for world domination slipped his mind
As for me, I simply forgot to attend the Revolution -
I was distracted by the adorable new kittens
Louvre Robbed in Broad Daylight - a question
Lawrence Hall
Dispatches for the Colonial Office
“Louvre Robbed in Broad Daylight”
-news item
One
wonders if there is any narrow daylight.
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