rite!

That’s great that he was able to read it. Did he get all of the words, even metamorphose? Even if he didn’t, but figured out the way it works, that’s good for a fifth grader. Maybe they have an easier time of bringing order to chaos than we do.

Thanks, A.

I don’t know what painter you mean. Glad you understood it and got what I was saying in a cryptic way.

Metamorphose – yes. Bunk – no. Wingdings would make it completely illegible, and anyone can do that. I wanted it barely legible, with just enough pattern so the reader can see order in apparent chaos.

I was hoping the reader would infer something about the woman from the last line - that being unliked herself, she understands the feelings this boy must have. Otherwise the poem would be merely a description of the fat boy, and the woman just an observer. You seem to see this. To say more about her would detract, I think, from the blunt focus on the fat boy, and overcomplicate the story.

To sweep clean the pavement because it is smelly. But I still think fat people are jollier on average than non-fat people, be they poor or not. I don’t know the reason for this, but is appears true.

Poor people are more likely to be fat, diseased, alcoholic, smokers, drug addicts, criminals, victims of crime, depressed, schizophrenic. You call this an irrelevance and then criticise an gentleman's portrayal of poorness as a bit smelly. Let me ask you this. Is it better to sweep clean the pavement because it is smelly or to not sweep clean the smelly pavement because you believe it to be jolly?

I am not entirely happy with the third verse, but I thought the first two came off rather well.

Rod, I've told you before -- please stay off my computer. Thanks.

Virgins for the puritans came from the idea that your time on earth is toil to contrast with heaven. In effect your reward in heaven is the opposite of your discipline on earth.