The cautionary tale of Dr Rational



Dr Rational was a lecturer;
tired of living
tired of reality

so tired his dreams became real.
He travelled in time, shopping
in the morning his purchases were real.

He visited Victorian scientists:
Darwin, Faraday, Mendel
to put their names on a certificate

and sold it for millions.
The next night he went to Africa:
He found a beautiful carving

of a black fish with a red bead,
like the Tilapia
of Lake Tanganyika.

It cursed him
and he lost all his money.




Go back to Poetry and Prose Page Copyright Rod White 1999