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Wednesday 14 November 2012

My Most-Remembered Lie

The one that haunts, keeps coming back...

Friday afternoon: the class debate.
Dicky Bird (Englsh, Literature and Grammar,
Lower School) has just this moment
introduced his theme (half-promising,
the way he always does, we all could be
M.Ps. one day): Meccano in
the School Curriculum?  And now,
by way of limbering up, 
he's going round the room inviting
us to say if we possess Meccano 
sets at home; and if so, which; and
how they figure in our leisure hours.
(Sets range from 1 to 10. Set 5 or 6
would indicate a lucky bunny.)

He gets to me. Set 10! I say.
The whole class looks with incredulity.
He offers me the chance to backtrack 
just a bit, but I am adamant. Set 10!
I say again. He starts to list out all
the parts set 10 includes. I nod at each,
stick to my guns! They start to grin.
Then giggle. The more they do so,
the more I nod. Truth is -- one version of --
I have set 8 plus set 9A. 9A
converts set 9 to 10 -- but not, alas,
set 8. I'm almost there, but lacking
set 8A. I have convinced myself --
almost -- it's near enough to pass for truth.

And I keep thinking now... perhaps
he saw the spark, perhaps he knew
I should have been an M.P. after all.
Meccano Steam shovel. Image fromWikipedia

9 comments:

Ygraine said...

Yep,
I reckon you definitely should have been an MP.
I mean, it may have only been a LITTLE white lie, but the fundamental talent was unmistakably in evidence, wasn't it?! Hehehe :D

Brian Miller said...

ha. thinking back to what might have been mine...there is a sting for sure when we are caught in them...esp if its publically done...

Leovi said...

I love it. You can not always reversing.

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

Great confession: "it's near enough to pass for truth."
I have been very close to this often myself.

Mary said...

Ha ha, I love the ending about you should have beem an MP. If you we're in this country you could gave been a general.

Cloudia said...

cocky lil fellow. In racy America it was called an "Erector Set" LOL!




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Elephant's Child said...

You recognised it was a lie. Sorry, that means that you just couldn't be an MP. I have never heard any of the little dears admit to lying. Misunderstandings yes, misinterpretation yes, lying - not a snowball's chance in hell.
And yes, I am wearing my cynical hat today.

Dave King said...

To all

Many thanks for your rather avried replies -- but surprisingly little censure. I guess we've most of us got by at some point with something close to the truth! It's just that, unlike M.P.s perhaps, we don't make a habit of it, so are not so professionally competent at it.

Thanks again.

A Cuban In London said...

Ha, I loved the ending! Yes, maybe politics should have been your call. Great poem. Thanks.

Greetings from London.