Words about bridges

Bridges are always pleasing. 

A bridge over water is a bridge in its natural environment. A bridge over a road is an eccentric modern innovation. A bridge over a bridge is an exaggeration. 

Not all exaggerations are to be regretted. 

Not only can you walk over a bridge, you can walk under it. Thus, you can appreciate its beauties in two ways. 

But with a bridge over a bridge, you can simultaneously walk over and under a bridge, or under a bridge under a bridge, or over a bridge over a bridge (over whatever the under bridge goes over). This is so remarkable that I am remarking on it now. 

The world today is a complicated place, and full of not only bridges over bridges, but bridges over bridges while also being under other bridges, many of which are under other bridges, which are under other bridges, and so on. I am not sure if there is a limit to the number of bridges there should be in such arrangements. If two bridges is an exaggeration, three bridges is the same, only more so. Four bridges are even more more so, or even more interesting, or even more better, or even more gooder, or, at any rate, are certainly something. 

Complicated arrangements involving spaghetti junctions of bridges over bridges under bridges intersecting with still other bridges which stand in relation to yet more bridges do at least raise the prospect that one day, the architects and engineers will, using the medium of concrete and metal, manage to tie it all up into an exceedingly interesting knot. 

This is the end of my talk about bridges. 

Fig 1: the ideal bridge is made entirely out of moss and lichen and bird poo.  

It's complicated

There comes a time in everybody's life when they publish a poem about Oedipus for Mother's Day. So here you go, and there you go.

The Ballad of Oedipus Rex

Oedipus changed his relationship status,

I hear things are complicated - 

Yeah, the world's become older and stranger 

Since he and Jocasta first dated. 

CHORUS: 

O Oedipus Oedipus Rex

Has your life lost its zest?

Turn back in your quest

Or you will get messed

Up, yes, things are about to get worse. 

And there's a kingdom of metal and grey,

There's a kingdom of plastic perspex, 

And Rex is the name of the king

At the Oedipus Shopping Complex. 

CHORUS: 

O Oedipus Oedipus Rex

Am I sounding impressed?

Am I sounding obsessed? 

Are you living your best 

Life, for the car will soon go in reverse. 

On Mother's Day early I met him,  

He was buying a present for Jo - 

I'm just not sure, he says, what to get her, 

Now chocolates don't cut it, you know? 

CHORUS: 

O Oedipus Oedipus Rex

You have just passed the test, 

But there's word from the west

That they've outlawed incest, 

All your blessings have turned to a curse. 

And life is a bugger, all right, 

And regret will be always belated, 

The world's become older and stranger

Since he and Jocasta first dated. 

Yeah, the world's become older and stranger

Since he and Jocasta first dated...