The tempest rains,

maleficence precipitating chaos,

a director of keyless minstrelsy.

Panic swells and teases but

the crew continues to fight.

The captain poised and timeless

clashes with the discordant foe-

an inharmonious congruence

of thunder and light

of creation and existence

of man and the tempest.

Calamity drones on

and unlike Shakespeare's-

our crew continues to fight

and there is no surrender.

A relentless tempest, yes,

but these men control their tempers.

And yet, William's comedy prevails.

Destruction increases tempo

apprehension staccatos the minds of the men before-

The tempest howls and crescendos.

The men swept from the vessel

left to wrestle the uncharitable tide.

I read William Shakespeare's, The Tempest, during my undergraduate career and this is a poem in response to Act 1: scene i. The poem offers an alternative approach to characters' behaviors, but still deliver the same result (people getting thrown overboard and washing ashore).

In Shakespeare's drama the captain quits and the boatswain assumes command of the ship. Chaos ensues as the storm persists and royal members on board the ship mock and threaten the boatswain. Nothing can be accomplished because of the discourse between the men and they are thrown overboard.

In my edition the captain doesn't quit and the men work harmoniously in the face of death. All the same, the men in this version are thrown overboard.

The purpose of me creating this new approach is to argue that it matters not whether we are arguing or working together as Mother Nature has the final say.

Now go read the real thing!!

XXThe train has left the stationXX XXThe ship has sailedXX XXFrom what we could gather their vector coordinates were on a direct path to EarthXX XX Alert the President and prepare for war, an invasion is imminentXX 

XXMay God be with you and the rest of mankindXX

XXAdmiral LewisXX

XXUSS ClarkXX

Imagine a hotel 

with an infinite amount of rooms

an infinite amount of guests

and no vacancy.

Now imagine a bus load of 

(you guessed it) 

infinite people 

arriving at the highly reputed Infinity Hotel. 

The dedicated hotel manager 

fears not.

He requests that each guest 

move from their current room 

to their room number 

doubled. 

So the guest in room one moves to room two, 

the guest in room thirteen moves to room twenty-six. 

This empties all of the odd number of rooms 

and allows the bus full 

of infinitely many people 

to occupy the oddly infinite rooms.  

Thought experiment adopted from David Hilbert.

"You just don't understand. Last night was the best night of my life, I can tell he is actually interested in me," Io pleaded to Inachus. 

The level headed father asserted, "I better not catch you sneaking around with any of the Gods, let alone the God of Gods himself, Zeus. If Hera were to find out that you two have been sneaking around-"

-at that moment the father and daughter heard a loud crack as the sky above them clouded grey as Zeus descended from Mount Olympus. Inachus looked gravely towards Io as Zeus approached them near the river.

"My star-shining beauty I am afraid a terrible circumstance is beginning to unfold," Zeus began to urgently inform Io, "Hera is aware of our affair and your life is in danger. I have clouded the sky to prevent her from seeing down the mountain, but we need to disguise you Io. We will turn you into a cow to keep you safe from her wrath."

Io looking rather confused responded, "Interesting idea, how about instead of a cow we try for a lion or even a cat?"

-"Where are you Zues?!" Inachus and the unfortunate couple heard the exclamation from Mount Olympus and knew that Hera would arrive any moment. 

Zeus took hold of Io, "quickly there isn't much time." 

I don't really remember if the grass was green when we were together or not. Part of me wishes you could see how green my grass is now. I'm not here to lie and front like I don't think about you from time to time, but I am here to say thank you. 

I try to remember the good times, but our problems still linger in the shadows waiting to reintroduce themselves and revive the pain. When I remember the laughing I also remember the fighting and when I remember the tickling I also remember the crying and the truth is I don't know how to feel about any of it anymore. I try to remember those warm conversations in the middle of the night, filled with seduction and promises, but all roads lead to pain. 

But I want to say thank you for that pain, Eliza. Only god knows the number of days it has taken me to realize that without that pain I wouldn't be as happy as I am. Pain can take control of your life but you must understand that pain is a reaction. A reaction that is only possible if you are capable of love.  

Our ups and downs and subsequent pain has led me to realize that I am a person capable of loving and as long as I have that I will be happy. Oh my how green the grass can be when love takes control of your life. These thoughts illuminate my brain and extinguish the grey pains lurking in the shadows and allow me to be free. I am finally free. I am finally happy.

You will always be a significant person to me Eliza, but if you love me, please remind me to forget about you so that the light of love can lead me through life.

All the best,

Andrew