Wednesday, June 06, 2018

Misleading Likenesses


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Some words look like family
But they are certainly not,
They may be physical similarities
But that’s where it must stop.

We shall prove the above 
As we examine such words,
I hope the way they are used
Don’t appear to be absurd.

I now invite you to come with me
And think the way I think,
The words I selected are easy to see
They have been typed in bold print.

I have accentuated their similarities
By using them in pairs,
 But try not to compare them
To contrast would be fair.
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The first pair up is bazaar and bizarre
The former is good with loads of fun
But if the latter should happen
You know the former is done.

Some politicians are elected
To run a country’s affairs
But the “I” causes much ruin
Showing they didn’t really care.

The electorate hopes they would mesh
So together they could impress
But given their selfish ambition
They only cause a mess.

In canvassing they commend themselves
So they could get the vote
But after, the people condemn them
For they do nothing of note.

Another two are spaciousand specious
Marvel at the difference an and make,
In the first there is adequate room
While in the second there’s spurious intake.
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You have heard of foster care:
Looking after an adopted child’s welfare
But when the child is foisted upon someone
That’s something the child finds hard to bear. 

Just removing an “l” can cause trouble
As in the case of salvage and savage:
The first refers to damage control
The second is an expression of the damage.

At school she didn’t learn much
Though there was a lot of fuss
Instead of learning she wasted her time
Such that her head was full of mush

Positive information is good
When it is processed in the brain 
But inflammation is horrible
And sometimes has to be drained.
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Offer and offal sound nearly alike
But rarely do they ever mix
While the first is to be desired
With the second you’re in a fix.

Not much contrast in “walk” and “talk
But an interest in what they mean,
Some people talk but never walk
In others both talk and walk can be seen.

An apologist argues the point,
His business is apologetics
But when an apology is frequently made
Somebody is playing tricks.

Adding can sometimes be harmful
As in the case of cure and curse,  
The cure is all right without the “s
But add it in and you have a mess. 

Give me the coin any day
But please keep away the con
Even though wherever there’s money
You’re likely to find one.
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The educated man is able to think
And can do so on his own,
The indoctrinated one is so brainwashed
That his behavior is more like a clone.

 Friend and fiend are closely matched
But for the presence of an “r
In the former’s case you can draw near,
In the latter’s you’d better keep far.

I was elated when I heard the news
But deflated in that it wasn’t true,
It appears there was a huge mistake
And it was announced before they knew.

Look at ubiquitousand iniquitous
They almost go hand in hand,
The one before means present everywhere
The one after is the evil that men plan.

I knew that I was innocent
And so I rejoiced at my vindication,
But those who wanted to destroy me
Were only interested in my vilification.

Affluence speaks of the kind of progress
That is common to the famous and wealthy
But if their effluence is not treated properly
They could be sick and unhealthy.
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Amenand omen are vastly different
Amen expresses “so let it be”,
Omen by contrast is oft in the mind
But not the reality one wants to see.

These words may have looked like family
But they were certainly not
For having looked past their similarities
It’s the contrast that we have got.

Stewart Russell © August 2017

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