Saturday 24 November 2012

Nature vs Man (An actually rather serious post)

I've been thinking about Titanic quite a lot recently. (The film and the actual real life sad situation) It makes me feel sad because of how many people died but also because I think one of these days all the Hollywood films about robots taking over the world, will come true. We are always building bigger, digging deeper, spending more and more, flying higher (I'm talking about you, Felix Baumgartner, jumping out of Outer Space, I ask you!) and just trying to be the biggest Mothers on the planet. But really, mountains will always dwarf ships, seas will always drown reservoirs, outer space will always swallow up rocket ships, and the sun will always melt robots down to molten iron.

 I wrote a poem about the Titanic and nature's response to the tragedy. It's a bit serious actually, for once. Check me out Ma, I'm growing up!

This is it:
Since Eden, man has tried his best
To put nature to the test
Our arrogance and vanity
Has blinkered us, so we can't see
That nature was, is and will be
The victor of eternity
 
And still we try and try again
To prove ourselves as Big Strong Men
"We've got the tools! We've got the braun!"
Industrialism has been born
 
Britain became Great overnight
and taught the world from its great heights
how to use Nature's resources
to replace hard work and horses
 
The Big Men said "Let's build a ship!
We'll build it huge and build it quick!"
But as we know, that fateful night
Nature won an epic fight
 
"Unsinkable" the mammoth boat
It's only given order; "Float",
Sank into the icy sea
And nature claimed it's steel trophy
 
"Let that be a lesson" Nature said
"Don't let your arrogance cloud your head
Never again try and take me on"

Maybe one day we'll learn our lesson.
 
 
The End.
Love Hannan :)
 
 

Sunday 11 November 2012

Remember Remember the 5th of November...

Remember Remember the 5th November,
Fireworks, apples and gloves. 
So this is why, the lights in the sky
Have become one of my favourite loves...

Last week was Bonfire Night, one of my favourite nights of the year. Unfortunately I had a puking condition that meant I couldn't leave the house so I missed it. But no worry everyone, I sure made up for it the following Friday at the Bonfire that happens at work each year. More about that later...

BANG! WHEEE! WHIZZ! SHCREEEEEE!

When I was a teeny weeny Hannan, I hated loud things, and things that gave me a fright, and so Bonfire Night was a nightmare for me. I remember going to Lancaster Firework show for a few years in a row and sitting on Optimus Dad's shoulders with my fingers crammed in my ears, trying to enjoy the pretty colours. I'd look around at people so I could see what their faces looked like and then I could copy their delight, thus fooling my family who would look at me and say "Nyawwww, look at Hannan having a wonderful time!" Not so much....

As I grew a bit more grown up I began to enjoy Fireworks a bit more, even going as far as genuinely smiling when they whizzed up into the sky, but still with fingers crammed firmly into ears. I'd partake in a toffee apple, a bit of that black toffee and maybe a hot dog but constantly on guard for the tell tale 'phut' sound of a banger being let off or the 'wheeeeeeee' just before the explosion.

Once at a small Bonfire party in my friend's garden, one of the fireworks fell over just after it had been lit and shot towards us all! My Dad, the incredible Optimus Dad, stepped on the firework and trapped it onto the ground so that it exploded UNDER HIS FOOT! What a hero! And even better, it turned out, was that it was a perfectly timed accident! He just happened to put his foot down on a firework as it exploded, thus saving us all. Hurray!

Fireworks do freak me out though. I don't like the idea that they're sitting there, waiting in that box, their tummies filled up with explosives. I know not if they realise their fate whilst they sit smiling in the shops, looking so pretty, and (now don't laugh) I almost feel bad for them as they shoot up with their long bums on fire and explode in the sky whilst people below admire their executions with 'ooooh's and 'ahhhhhhh's. A bit sick if you ask me.

I got over this on Friday though, and had a wonderful time. I had a tasty hot dog and held hands with The Boy as we watched the beautiful display of explosions. He kept warning me that he saw an episode of '999' once where a child got a firework in the eye, and so whenever anything touched his face, like a leaf, or my hair, or the wind, we had to deal with "Oh, OH, a FIREWORK has gone into my EYE!" The romantic exerience was also slightly marred by The Boy's less than animated commentary of the entire show.

[Imagine the following said in a low, droning, monotone voice because he was cold and tired]

"Yeah I like them ones...they're blue so I like them...And that one was quite good but it wasn't blue. Those one's make a noise. Those one's are big aren't they, that one was blue...I liked it. I like the ones that crackle...although they're not blue. I can see blue best of all..."

And so on. However, despite the cold, and the commentary, and the lack of toffee apples (grrrr) and the constant reassurance that "No fireworks have gone in your eye, The Boy...." I had a great night and there was no one else I'd rather have spent the evening with than him.

(And I didn't put my fingers in my ear once...!)

Hope you all had a safe and happy Bonfire Night and remember, NEVER play with gunpowder. Or you'll end up like Guy Fawkes.

Love Hannan xoxo