Tomfoolery
When this word was mentioned, many of us went straight to google for information! Was it a real word? Where did it come from? How is the word used? And that was all that was needed to begin that beautiful trail of wonder…
Thomas Skelton, the Jester or Fool from Muncaster Castle in Cumbria around the 1600’s and used in Shakespear’s King Lear.
This was behind the name assigned to those perceived as low intelligence or a clown, Thome Fole.
This evolved to become Tomfoolery…
So where did that take us? Lots of expression about what we see as foolish, in the way we have come to live life, engage in ‘foolish’ behaviour. What does it conjure for you? One might say there is a lot of ‘tomfoolery’ about.
Interesting the poet, Tomos Roberts, has the title Tomfoolery Performance Art for his poetic on You tube. Hope you like this week’s expressions.
PS the word for next week is ‘nostalgia’.
In order to feel tickity boo about myself
It’s imperative I enrol in a tom foolery course
Now you may consider I’m talking pure twaddle
So the learning modules should provide some models
Dead set, I need to find this humour source
I mean I’m not one to cause a kerfuffle
I don’t want to be someone who ruffles any feathers
Or create a scene that inspires a scuffle
I just won’t settle for some bit of malarkey
That would just lead me to be a tad snarky
It’s important to me when I’m in my zany brain
Because when I see and react to something insane
I need to show I comprehend my response
So I don’t leave others thinking I’m a ponce
Now the theory and content will have to be explicit
As I’m a bit of a nerd and have to have specifics
I’m no good at looking for the implied
Loose vague inferred meanings pass me by
I expect to become proficient in stupidity
And of course foolishness, silliness and lunacy.
Special topics to be spelled out with simplicity
Like when madness nonsense and messing around
Will give me the skills to make the appropriate sounds
The outcomes of my study must make me look competent
So I can experience tom foolery in all its variety
And be recognised as a player in this society,
Heaven forbid, who wants to be named incompetent?
PJR 14.03.2022
Tomfoolery
The Great Realisation
The insight
Where hindsight
Was the delight
First the mockery
The ridiculous
About the way life had come to be
Before Covid in 2019
The nonsense of our old life
The realisation, we were in strife
He said, we could now see the way
A shift from our usual day
From the balconies we now showed care
With our neighbours we did share
The poet Tomos Roberts, continues to display
On Facebook and you tube, important messages every day
Tomfoolery Performance Art
A poem a day, a great start
But is it so, the we have awoken
Or was the kindness just a token
Has the world actually learnt
Now war in Ukraine, such hurt
Too difficult to know, which way to go
What is real, how to deal – with it all
When everything we said we’d reject,
Is blasting away, now even deeper regret
Great Realisation,
Too soon the title
Now ruthless invasion
A bloody recital
TLaB
Why did he choose it
I hear you ask
Was it a caper or a prank
Or just a difficult task
Whatever it was
Challenge accepted
I had fun,
No pun rejected
It was that day again
‘Batten down the hatches’
When anything can happen
Anything that matches
With the game afoot
To get the many catches
What will it be?
Glad wrap on the seat
Fake news
A feigned fall
An emergency
A ’surprise’…
I have had many
Given and received
It works best when the days
Is not realised
What is it?
It is the first day
It is the 4 month
What can it be?
It is the day (am) of tomfoolery
Actually
For many
The moment
Can be any :)
(NRS)