Effing the Ineffable #4: Effing the very-effable, effing romance, and dream jobs
An occasional poetry round-up
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“I am, of course, playing with words. But that is the proper business of a philosopher who is also a poet, for the task and delight of poetry is to say what cannot be said, to eff the ineffable, and to unscrew the inscrutable.” — Alan Watts
Often I begin social interactions with new people by overthinking. Then I react to that wave of anxious thoughts by under-thinking — a knee-jerk counter-offensive. Which inevitably leads me to say something stupid, or confusing. At best, I miss an opportunity to engage more deeply in a conversation.
My point is, there are times I can’t even eff the very-effable. I’m not a person who’s traditionally good with words. In the moment, my thoughts can be scattered, going in different directions as much as I try to corral them into place. Small talk is the worst. I struggle to focus most of all when playing out a polite script. It’s like there’s nothing for my mind to catch on to. I slide right off.
