Origami Heaven

Cloud 9 - Cartoons and poetry

The website of writer and paperfolding designer David Mitchell

 

 
Six short poems on the interpretation of signs
 
1

Rabbits multiply

but that seems to be

the limit of their

mathematical ability.

 

2

Adders accumulate -

so it’s surely a mistake

that we climb up ladders

yet slide down snakes?

 

3

The Chinese, apparently,

taught us to take away,

thus diminishing

our culinary capacity.

 

4

Whoever decided

that sharing is divisive

surely misunderstood

what family life is?

 

5

The Babylonians,

it is said,

invented nothing,

which seems odd.

Though it is true, of course,

that their achievements

finally came to nought.

 

6

The Prime Minister, traditionally,

is primus inter pares,

though our task,

in this context,

is surely to ask,

‘First among equals who?’