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If you have every waxed poetic about a proton or lyricized about a light wave, this forum is for you. Submit your verses on viruses or cosmic quatrains for our, um, enjoyment.

rshowalter - 11:26am Feb 14, 2001 EST (#288 of 289)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Partner, use your discretion, but so far as I'm concerned, you can tell them anything at all that is true about me, and show them any notes or messages you may have. They've already got most of it anyway. Keep track of what you give them, though, and keep copies. Keep your friends posted.

When I was being harassed, I just went right up to the people conspicuously observing me, and talked to them, making sure I could see their faces, and record details.

If they wanted to kill you - they'd just do it. Killing a person is easy, if you don't screw around. Has anyone explained to you that you've done anything wrong, or anything that wasn't part of doing your job?

For your honor, and mine, I'm reposting this:

rshowalter - 11:28am Feb 14, 2001 EST (#289 of 289)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Repost from THERE'S ALWAYS POETRY Guardian... The TALK http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee79f4e/1089

I fell in passionate partner-love in the line of duty,
With a lady doing her duty too,
It was partner-love at first interchange for me,
I was a partner-widower, Steve Kline having died,
And I knew, after some talk, as my head lit up
And problems solved,
That this was it - better even than Steve
my old partner-love, much missed, long mourned.

After just a bit I was sure, and full of longing.
She was the best partner I could hope
to be alive in the world for my needs,
And there she was !

She was slower.
But partner-love came to her.
We did things together that we couldn't do apart,
and she lit up my mind, and I made hers work nicely, too
And good things, graceful things came to us, together,
when we were working.

And when we weren't in contact, I found myself asking
"Now what would Da think here?" ....
always something different from what I'd think,
And found myself, happier, and thinking better,
and touched by her grace.

Later, and much to my surprise,
I fell in love with the lady
in the line of duty,
And she was doing her duty, too.

And we've been serious, and careful,
and for a long time
she knew that I'd settle for partner-love
Though I came to want more,
and she did too.

My guilt attenutated in an episode,
It happened that, doing my duty,
I got into a scrape,
and thought my life was in danger, for good reason.
And I called her, and communicated
how serious it was.

She was in a position to cut my risks a lot,
by doing her normal duty,
but her guy wouldn't let her take the phone,
Later, I got a call, left as a message,
that if I called again, the guy would sue.

Did he know his lady at all,
and how she cared about doing her duty?

Or how
she cared about
belonging to herself?

Things might have been different
if he'd talked to me, then
or, for a long time, later.

I think the lady has been as careful
and as caring as could be
and all the while
she set things up so she could
cut me off in an instant,
and I would have been
so warned, in so many ways,
that I couldn't complain.
Might happen today......

I haven't so much
as touched her hand,
. . . . . . worse luck.

I fell in love with a lady
in the line of duty,
And she was doing her duty, too.

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