Isn’t It Silly

About this poem

At first this may appear as a kind of toilet humour. However, there are several layers to this. Psyllium husk is commonly used as a natural laxative. "Silent as in swimming" is a play on the silent "P" of the word psyllium and refers to the joke that urinating in a pool makes no sound. This is an introduction to bodily functions which this poem centres. It continues to ambiguously describe how psyllium is a dietary fibre, and silliness ostensibly a moral guide. At times trauma can be debilitating and have us become "stuck" with seemingly no way out. This also alludes to constipation. Through using silliness one can take a light-hearted look at adversity as a means to become "unstuck" and provide psychological relief, hence catharsis. Medically, it is a purging of the bowels. The poem ends by never forgetting to be silly, lest being trapped in darkness. Each stanza increases in the number of lines. This represents a build up of emotion, and also faecal matter in the bowels. Yet another correlation is the smell of excrement and how life sometimes "stinks". Finally, there is compelling research that shows a relationship between gut health and mental health. more »