Jeff Guess

Book: Old English boc "book, writing, written document," generally referred (despite phonetic difficulties) to Proto-Germanic *bokiz "beech" (source also of German Buch "book" Buche "beech;" the notion being of beechwood tablets on which runes were inscribed; but it may be from the tree itself (people still carve initials in them). Latin and Sanskrit also have words for "writing" that are based on tree names ("birch" and "ash," respectively). And compare French livre "book

Live your life with an even mind. Examine yourself with a humble mind. Cultivate yourself with a non-abiding mind. Devote yourself to the Way with an awakened mind. Master Hsing Yun (1927 - ) Founder of Fo Guang Shan Buddhism

Guitar: lute-like musical instrument, 1620s, from French guitare, which was altered by Spanish and Provençal forms from Old French guiterre, earlier guiterne, from Latin cithara, from Greek kithara "cithara," a triangular seven-stringed musical instrument related to the lyre, perhaps from Persian sihtar. The name reached English several times, including giterne (early 14c., from Old French), in reference to various stringed, guitar-like instruments; the modern word is also di

As we live, we grow and our beliefs change. They must change. So I think we should live with this constant discovery. We should be open to this adventure in heightened awareness of living. We should stake our whole existence on our willingness to explore and experience. Martin Buber (1878 - 1965) Jewish philosopher

Prehistoric flint knife. Knife: "hand-held cutting instrument consisting of a short blade and handle," late Old English cnif, probably from Old Norse knifr "knife, dirk," from Proto-Germanic *knibaz (source also of Middle Low German knif, Middle Dutch cnijf, German kneif), a word of uncertain origin. To further confuse the etymology, there also are forms in -p-, such as Dutch knijp, German kneip. French canif "penknife" (mid-15c.) is probably of Germanic origin, perhaps from

Fog: "thick, obscuring mist," 1540s, a back-formation from foggy or from a Scandinavian source akin to Danish fog"spray, shower, snowdrift," Old Norse fjuk "drifting snow storm." Compare also Old English fuht, Dutch vocht, German Feucht "damp, moist." Figurative phrase in a fog "at a loss what to do" first recorded c. 1600. Fog-lights is from 1962 Bay Road, Foggy Morning after the painting by Clarice BECKETT (c. 1920s) The place where the bus stops is a carefully trimmed cul

Salt: Old English sealt Fish and Chips Out from his takeaway food shop, he looks beyond the greasy glass where gum trees swarm in the wind like green schools of fish in dark branches. He still hears sea at the end of the road on stormy days, but rarely sees it now. Besides the early morning shadows, cold August smokes the panes. Chip baskets splutter in hot oil, makes a small black foam flecked ocean, and he dreams of Ithaca- his father's boat and rope-rough hands; bringing i

Angels: 14thC fusion of Old English engel and Old French angele, both from Latin angelus, from Greek angelos ‘messenger, envoy, one that announces’. Veronica’s Song a cycle of poems for Easter after The Stations of the Cross 1. Station The First Jesus is Condemned to Death His mind stayed on the supper table when they dressed him in the contents of the cup and from sharp thorns felt trickle down into his mouth the vintage of their hate. His mind stayed on the supper table whe

Poetry is a language to which there is no defence. ©Jeff Guess 2017

Frogs: Old English frogga, from Proto Germanic fruska-z, Old Norse froskr, Middle Dutch vorsc, German Frosch. Frog Cakes after Balfours’ shop, Rundle Mall Submerged in the sweet shallow crowded pond of shop-front display. Cold in green-iced skin; their slightly parted cake lips croak on a string of silent years. And they are an icon for each- connecting fairy tales with Christmas mother with Myers. And finally lunch at Balfours where they became for us, the small luxury she c