Why Poets Make Lousy Scientists
by Jim Murdoch
A day, a week and a month are the same length as a year
and are half the length of a minute, a second and a decade.
In turn, these last three are each two-thirds as long as a century
and half as long as both a millennium and a nanosecond.
Tomorrow will always be the same length as yesterday whilst both
are longer than today which is twice as long as now, then and when.
Interestingly forever is slightly shorter than infinity and eternity too
but in a fair fight twenty-four seven would trump the lot.
The Old Codger II
My wife insists she’s asked me five times—
by which she means three times—
to take my trousers upstairs.
I’ve lived long enough to admit to being told once.
I do seem to recall a conversation about trousers
but that might’ve been with another wife
and about a different pair of trousers.
Or it might’ve been a jumper.
BIO
Jim Murdoch is a prolific Scottish poet. In 2025 alone, he published 140 poems and has already exceeded that this year. Pieces have appeared in respected journals such as Acumen and Stand although a great deal has vanished without trace. For ten years he ran the literary blog The Truth About Lies. He now lives quietly in Glasgow with his wife and a timeshare cat. He has published two books of poetry, a short story collection, and four novels—Jim, not the cat.
