ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

YOONI

I've been to Yooniversity
enduring lecture sessions
with reams of scribbly study notes
on esoteric lessons.
I tried to grasp the science that
was said to build psychology,
and fried my brain while sifting through
the lore of sociology.
I got the marks to pass exams
on polity relations,
and even found out what is meant
by standard deviations.

I s'pose it's useful now; to know
cognitive dissonance and fundamental attribution error,
but they don't fit the metric flow.

I can't remember much these days,
of Durkheim, Locke and Skinner.
And don't reflect on dopamine,
at least, while having dinner.
The Yooni didn't make me smart,
I'm still a plodding learner.
But what I learnt.... was how to learn;
and that's a priceless treasure.

I started laughing from the opening line Neville. Love it!

I learnt to parteee, how to have an excellent water fight, how to make flour bombs and the best that university can offer - the annual scavenger hunt! and a whole lot of other things I can't tell me muther!

I remember a handful of things from university notes Neville but i remember a whole lot more from what life has taught me..

Seems like a lifetime ago....

Heathe r

That middle stanza takes the cake, Nev . . . hillarious!

Very John Clarkesque

Marty

Heather wrote:Seems like a lifetime ago....

It was Heather Can't tell your muther ?, you'd better tell us, we can keep a secret

Thanks Marty. I'm flattered, love John Clarke's stuff.

Lotsa folks just don't get that concept Nev ... to learn how to learn ...

G'day Neville, I meant to reply a bit earlier but things are still pretty hectic here, I too found the learn to learn an interesting addition, I have never been to uni but my Dad said to me many years ago, "You go to school to learn to learn" that has stuck with me and I often think about it. A lot of people think you have to go to uni to be an educated person...not true, many of the most educated people on the planet had a limited formal education, as long as they "learned to learn" from general life experiences and mentors, they will become highly educated people!

Thanks Manfed and Ross. You give me a wonderful boost with your understanding.

And the same thing applies to art or to poetry. For art it's more about learning to see than learning to paint. With poetry it's more about learning to look and listen , the metre writing bit comes after all the other. Any way I'm convinced of that.

as long as we never lose the desire to learn we should be right Pity help the person who knows it all

Good fun Neville

Cheers

Maureen

Brings back memories, Neville...nicely done! Now did you do your learning to learn in a yooniform of ripple-soled desert boots (sometimes known as 'brothel creepers'), cords and duffle coat? Or was it the flared jeans, tie-dyed shirt with wide lapels, and fluorescent hippie headband look?

And as for Heather...hmmmm...?

David

Thanks for the comment David. I did my studies in later life, paid for by my employer. For me mainly just the blue jeans and a shirt with the Uni name and shield on it. They were good shirts I just had to make sure I wasn't a blur on the scutcheon like John O'Brien or I would have had to pay my own fees and HECS.