Monthly Archives: December 2016

Utilities

UTILITIES

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What are Utilties? You may well ask
Surely their name suggests they must be something useful
And indeed they are
We miss them dearly if they fail us

Utilities affect each of our lives as they are the means
By which we receive electricity and gas
And the vital services of water and sewerage
Imagine a world with no taps or flushes!

In economics, utility is a measure of preference
Between different sets of goods or services
Utility represents the degree of satisfaction
Experienced by the consumer in choosing that good

A public utility is an organisation that maintains
The infrastructure for a public service
But nowadays many of these public services are
Sold to us by huge private sector enterprises

Control of utilities is a matter of public concern
And throughout the world various Regulators
Try to control these mighty behemoths
That provide us warmth, and power to our computers

And of course, utilities can have a huge influence
On environmental issues, pollution and global warming
So utilities are not simply useful things
They are the framework supporting (and sometimes threatening) our modern life

So next time you flick a switch, or turn a knob, or access the web,
Or step into the shower, or snuggle up to the electric blanket
And instantly the service springs into life
Give thanks for the utilities and pray they never let you down!

Ken Fisher

A Scottish Funeral

A Scottish Funeral

 

Hillhead Baptist Church

In kirk or chapel, crematorium or even by the graveside
Somber faced kin and friends, of the deceased assemble
The nearest and dearest still in deep shock from their loss
Others less close prompted to recall their own mortality

In these moments of quietness the outside world excluded
Time is forced to pause – its busyness suspended
And as we listen to the tribute to our loved one
Our minds are chastened as we reflect on life’s fragility

Of course when we are young we think our vitality impregnable
Unless the deceased be young and now a tragic victim
Of some untimely illness or overwhelming force majeure
The older, more conditioned to the prospect of approaching death

So we gather in respectful homage round the coffin
Listen to the biography which often reveals surprising facts
We wonder why we hadn’t taken more time or made more effort
To get closer to such a person, as a friend, a colleague or loved one

Our emotions charged as we sing an ancient psalm
And hold in prayer those for whom this loss is most deeply felt
For some the familiar words of scripture might offer consolation
Even the prospect of re-union on some far off shore

And then at the words of final committal
The curtains closed or coffin lowered
The body shrouded in unknowing
And we return to face the world
Which now is never quite the same

Ken Fisher