Now a messenger is described unsurprisingly as a deliverer of messages! Wonderful, so what then is a message?
Well a message is defined thus, “a verbal, written, or recorded communication sent to or left for a recipient who cannot be contacted directly”! So there, and what an informative start to this article, but hold on for culture is to follow…
We probably all think of messengers as mostly purveyors of gloomy or tragic news, as noted in the phrase of “killing the messenger”, but of course no mention is made of said messenger of glad tidings! That I guess is taken for granted!
Of course messengers of bad tidings did have a very short life expectancy, as in the poor chap who informed Tigranes of his enemy being almost on top of him. He had his head cut off for his troubles, and so other would be messengers were somewhat reluctant to give any bad news, thus Tigrane was surrounded by his enemy before he knew it as he wouldn’t accept bad news. Sadly and tragically for him as well, the bad news found him!
Probably time for my take on a messenger, so from my fifth book comes the appropriately titled poem “ The Messenger”
The Messenger
The messenger calls as usual
And you take it as always read,
But you may get a shock
When worrying that he’s dead.
For he hasn’t called, or spoke
So you wonder what is wrong?
But maybe nothing is for him,
When he sings another’s song,
Just how they like to hear him
As for her he speaks so well.
So you’ve faded in his memory,
Though not that you can tell.
As like thunder, the silence roars
Reverberating about your ears,
That once rejoiced to hear him
But now noise is replaced by tears
Of an acid recrimination,
That you didn’t cherish it all.
And thus you have lost it now
Even if begging him to call!
So your messenger has vanished
And seems won’t be coming back,
To pick up all the pieces
That crumble as you crack.
For no messages are forthcoming,
As the delivery man has gone.
Leaving you with a hard lesson,
About the man who shone
That bright light in your life,
And always made you smile.
But when felt you gave nothing
He knew you weren’t his style.
–
There is however in Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra a wonderful reply from an unappreciated messenger who told the queen of Antony’s marriage to “another”, and was threatened by her. (She wanted to use his eyes as balls), when he said “Gracious Madam, I that do bring this news, made not the match”! Great stuff…
Also in Antigone by Sophocles, she quotes “no one loves the messenger who brings bad news”! So a career as a messenger is not one to be taken on lightly as was also the case in probably the most famous messenger story.
That story of Pheidippedes, who ran about 25 odd miles from Marathon (got it now?) to Athens to proclaim “Niki” (victory) over the Persians! This news was a bit unexpected so very gladly received, but sadly Pheidippedes collapsed and died, showing that even good news could be deadly for messengers! Still want to be one?
Some messengers have good protection though, like in the case of “Town Criers”, C’mon we ALL know some “unofficial” ones as well, but the official Town Crier would often have to shout unpopular news from the ruling monarch, so he was protectd by an order, (maybe too late at times?), that anyone who harmed him committed treason and thus was sentenced to death. Happy world in those times, but really SO different in many ways?
Another poem before more fascinating messenger facts and anecdotes, and this one is quite nice and simple with a romantic theme, “Message from the Heart”
Message from the Heart
Eyes can only see and admire
Objects of wonder in their views,
Especially when widened in awe
At a stunning hoped-for muse.
So an alert goes through the body
With the blood streaming around,
With an awakened amorous idea
That a gorgeous siren’s been found.
But we have little control over this
And must obey it from the start,
Within this “action stationed” frame
Hearing this message from the heart.
All people and the sights once seen
Have now faded from your sight,
Reduced to mere bit-part players
By this seismic feelings might.
Now the brain will try to balance
These vibrations, so very strong,
But the senses now have a target
Though the brain thinks it’s wrong.
Thus now nervous and infantile
A besotted body makes its move.
With new and aroused emotions
That the brain tries to approve.
So embarkations to possible grief
By the heart are now fully set
Off onwards, to hoped for passions
With this siren, very newly met.
–
Well that should have settled everyone down, so as the old time childrens presenter used to say, “are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin” but possibly you won’t sit too comfortably with me as I like to be a “progressive” as well as “prolific” Psychy Poet, and thus provoke thought, feelings and as this next bit, GUILT!!!
How many of you have been love cheats, betrayed, cheated on, or had those things done to you? Or possibly you were a messenger or received one, with sad tidings of a “love betrayal”, not nice but only too frequently happens. Still I’m very happy that we all are perpetual “paragons of virtue”, but look away now if you are feeling a bit embarrassed or a “little tiny bit guilty”?
To avoid those blushes I will take you back to the 60’s song hit for The Tremeloes, “Silence is Golden”, still frequently played, so again own up you must have heard it! Well of course it describes the dilemna of a friend struggling with a decision of, to tell or not, that a person was being cheated on. Obviously they had concerns of not being believed, as nobody wants to hear the bad news, or being told to “mind their own business”. Oh the trials of possibly being a messenger. So is silence golden in those cases? YOU decide please.
Right time for the next and last poem in this piece and again with connitations about messengers or messages! Perhaps in this case of receiving messages too absorbed in manner that it may lead to their death, or is it “Mobileside”? From my 3rd book then….
Mobilecide
Suicide Is intentionally killing yourself
When towards that sad act you slide.
But now we have another way to die,
Unintentional, and called “mobilecide”
For mobilecide comes from the misuse,
Of your companion, the mobile phone.
With all the latest gadgets and devices
That checks you’re in touch and not alone.
The problem with this is very simple,
In that you must look at your screens
At almost continual times and occasions,
To ensure you know what it means!
There are several forms of mobilecide
And can depend on where you are,
But by far the most certain, lethal way
Is to use your phone and drive a car.
A quick look at it, or maybe make a call
Or perhaps temptation to send a text,
So that your eyes are off your driving
And have no clues to what happens next.
You are not attending to the road
So you swerve to left, or maybe right,
At an oncoming car, maybe a big van
But each could spell the last goodnight!
Of course other people may be involved,
Not fault of theirs they’re in the way.
But your averted eyes don’t see them
And after you hit them, what do you say?
“Oh God I really didn’t mean it”
No intention for this at all.
You got distracted by your phone,
So you killed them and hit the wall.
By walking you are not in the clear
If constantly at your phone you look,
Because the unseen driver who hits you
Was surprised by the chance you took,
A pedestrian without any awareness
Of a highway code you may have read.
For to go blindly cross the road
Ensures you will soon end up dead!
Thus questions must be asked of the mobile,
Is it for fun, information, or tears.
For giving it attention, and not yourself
Means you won’t live many years.
–
Oh well the giving or receiving of messages is perhaps a bit like Gilbert and Sullivans description of policeman, and “not a happy one or lot”! Never mind too much then, as maybe “better to be messaged sadly than never messaged at all” or something like it, ho, ho.
On ending this latest article I wish you all happy news, no messenger roles “thrust upon you” or of course you being the cause of sad news for a messenger, but err hum, surely not?
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