THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER

poor georgie’s almanack:

This was drafted during the super-hot political summer of 2016, and relevant today.  I was fascinated about how history repeats itself.

The world in which we live was accurately portrayed in Lewis Carroll’s novels written for children about 150 years ago.  Like you, and like me, young Alice was in Wonderland after she fell down a rabbit hole.  Later she stepped through the Looking-Glass (a mirror) into an alternative world.

There, Alice met rotund twins named Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum who might be a parody of present day politicians.  They continually disagreed with each other, even after hugging.

The twins spoke in gibberish, which appeared to be absolutely clear to them.  In the midst of their conversation with Alice they recited a long poem.  It was about a Walrus and his improbable friend, a Carpenter, while they were walking on the beach.  The poem’s beginning, of course, began in the middle when …

"The time has come," the Walrus said,

"To talk of many things:

Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--

Of cabbages--and kings--

And why the sea is boiling hot--

And whether pigs have wings.”

… and it ended after they had enticed some oysters to follow them and then the friends ate the the tasty mollusks … 

"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."

"With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'

"But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one."

When Alice digested the entire poem she said:

“It seems very pretty but it’s rather hard to understand!”

"Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideas—only I don't exactly know what they are! However, somebody killed something: that's clear, at any rate.”

Alas, today I fear you and I are the oysters, and we are being eaten for lunch.