An American sentence:
Having my first grader injected with a brand new vaccine scares me.
What’s an ‘American Sentence’?
Allen Ginsberg, inventor of the American Sentence, felt that the haiku didn’t work as well in English. Ginsberg decided to remove the line structure of the haiku, maintaining the requirement of 17 syllables total. He felt that removing the line count freed the American Sentence up for the idiosyncrasies of English phonemes.
The requirements:
- Composed in one line;
- Syllabic, 17 syllables;
- Condensed, written with no unnecessary words or articles;
- Complete sentence or sentences;
- Includes a turn or enlightenment.
Let’s write poetry together!
When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.
–Ben Harper (b. 1969)
Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!
The skeptic's kaddish 
you said so much in 17 syllables! you are right to be wary – the evidence for it, and the safety data is missing!
yeah….. at the very least, I think we’ll wait a while to see how others are affected at that age. Thanks, Laura.
❤
David
Could you have her tested for the antibodies? We were all tested, my family and I, we carry the antibodies. So much they were asking for our plasma.
Hmn…. I’ll look into it 🙂 – thanks, Rose.
❤
David
The responsibility of being a parent is a heavy one. (K)
Heaviest ever for me.
We can only do our best.
Zooks. I avoid meds. I also try to stay educated and make reasonable decisions. Someone else’s opinion is not a basis for a reasonable decision. Everyone comes with baggage. Unload all of that, then see where they stand.
I just came across this article by coincidence:
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/confessions-of-a-covid-19-analyst-im-unsure-whether-to-vaccinate-my-kids-comment-685593
Thanks for the link. What? You want me to change my opinion?
nope – just sharing an article that more or less echoes my feelings
Imma admit times are very much different now compared to the late fifties. I keep (trying to) draw an analogy between the challenges of polio and covid. As a society we are intellectually ignorant (I know of no other way to put it) so “hep” and “with it” and “tuned-in” because of Le weird-and-wacky-web and new, self-righteous autonomy, comparison is difficult. Old curmudgeon longs for a simpler time. Thanks again. Off to do “stuff.”
A lune vaxx / For immunity / To fraught thought
👏 CES 👏
Your fear is totally reasonable. We’re living a new whole situation.
❤ thanks, Filipa ❤
my experience with people getting medicated in mental health care has left me with a deep distrust of the pharmaceutical industry. I had iatrogenic symptoms myself at 18 after a head injury but was saved by an enlightened psychiatrist after 2 days of that. So I am a bit biased that way. Plus, age-related (un)suitability of meds is generally disregarded in that area – ya-psychiatry as well as old people. No, I am not naively transferring.
so you generally avoid all medication?
yes; so far I have been fortunate to self-treat with herbal remedies homeopathy (less of that now) and acupressure. btw that head injury was in 1972.
so you avoid pain meds for headaches and such? or cold medications, etc.? allergy medications?
there are herbal and natural alternatives available, even for high temp. and yes, for allergies too. I use homeopathy for the latter. 🙂 As long as I don’t see an NHS doc I don’t get headaches. 🙂
Barbara, I use alternative methods as well. But I wanted to say I absolutely adore you. You are a wonderful addition to this discussion. I love reading Ben Alexander’s post then to read a comment from you it’s wonderful. Such an amazing person.
I&E – please feel free to call me ‘David’ – that’s my first name. ‘ben’ just means ‘son of’ in Hebrew – my pen name is confusing, I know – I’m sorry about that!
❤
David
No apologies, I should have picked that up reading the comments. My name is Rose. Thank you for letting me know 😊🌞
ouch – there – now my big head doesn’t fit through the door of my abode. Thanks. 🙂
btw hold the horses – we are now dealing with at last the third subject under the same headline – not only is it not possible to deduct judgments of facts from experience with psych medication, I can bring at best what I call my hermeneutic of suspicion with me; my self treatment is another kettle of fish again; avoiding common otc meds is yet another. Just saying.
.. -. judgments of facts re vaccine, I meant to say
now hold the horses – we are no covering the third subject under the same headline – not only is it not possible to generalise from my personal and professional experience in psych to judge vaccine (I may bring what I call hermeneutic of suspicion to it at most), my self treatment and with homeopathy is another
I completely understand you dude, it’s very scary! I’m happy to get myself vaxed too to keep myself; family and others safe but wouldn’t want my kids getting it.
yeah…. *sigh*
My children are not getting injected, I’m so thankful for my freedom of choice as a parent, as a human, as a person that respects others decisions and hope they respect mine as well. This is a very powerful sentence, I understand it.
Thanks for the support, IaE.
🤍
David
my child getting injected
even a new vaccine –
horrifying
—
I am with you David
I had no issues getting vaxxed myself.
not only the poet’s parental reactions are multi-layered I guess.
This pandemic is scary too. I’m attempting to schedule my booster but getting the timing right may necessitate a delay until after Thanksgiving!
I’m more scared about jabbing my child. I’ve had three shots myself and never hesitated.
I hear you. But at the same time I will feel much safer and happier about sending our kids to school once they’re vaccinated. Does Israel have vaccines available for 5+ already? Our government says they’re holding off to see more stats than just the 3000 in the trial. My husband says they probably just didn’t order quick enough. Whatever the truth, we don’t have an option yet.
In Israel, 5+ is available this week….
Is that your daughter? So cute.
Nope. Just a free photo.