Tag Archives: toxic

Day 22 — ancient form + modern facts

The book of poetry I’m reading today is The Wild Old Man by Chinese Poet Lu Yu (or You) who lived from 1125-1210 which was a part of the Southern Song Dynasty. His style is clean, elegant. Parsed back to barest essentials.

All his poems are in the form I’ve attempted today. 8 couplets. Short phrases (almost Old Man Hemingwayesque, without being quite as blokey brutish & brusque. Blend of nature based & political themes. No doubt I’m missing/not picking up on many subtleties but I like trying new things & that’s what NaPoWriMo is good for. [Though I do still really love florilegiums. Will definitely be revisiting them to explore other fungi, if not in the next week, once April is over.]

Note: even the title is in the style of Lu Yu (it’s actually based on the title of one of his poems with relevant details altered to accomodate my appropriation).

The Poetic Factoid today is three Factoids in one — you think you know where it’s going, but rugs are pulled.

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After the First Rainstorm of the Season, Deep in the Warm Earth of Mount Crawford Forest, Some Thoughts

Deep within earth. I begin.
Reaching outward. Every direction.

Already connected. To every tree.
In my forest. Networked to

A life force ancient 
And unstoppable. Have waited.

For the rains to come again.
They are later. This year.

Even later than last year. It is
Alarming. How quickly the air

Seeks to change us. Change our ways.
I have moisture in my makeup.

It is part of who I am. I need it
To do every wondrous thing I must.

But if I go too early. And more does not.
Fall. I will fail. Spore. Less. 

*****

Day 22 Factoid — Production, Consumption, & Oh-My-God-Son!!

Quick 1-2-3 Data Poem

the largest producer 
of mushrooms in the world
is China 

the largest consumer 
of mushrooms in the world
is China 

the country with the highest number 
of mushroom-related poisonings in the world
is the United States 

Chinese recognise toxic fungi
better than Americans can

Day 10 – superstitions + myths

Another poem that (the concept of which) has been bubbling around my brain for a few days. Again it might’ve been a better “introductory” pome but we get what get when we gets it.

The Factoid is actually an assembly of 5 Mushroom Myths, to which I could easily have added another 5 more. But five seemed the right number so I picked the funnest ones.

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superstitions abound because

i. popular
they alarm : in (as archaic storytellers would say) : ye olden days : simply : by suddenly appearing : & equally so : disappearing : into nothingness : more often than not : as if out of nowhere : oftener in odd : unusual : otherworldly : or magical forms : some humanoid in shape : some suggestive : complete with earthy intoxicating smells : foul unpleasant smells : gaudy colours : extravagant colours : glorious colours : colours which change when touched : or cut : bawdy designs : gorgeous  designs : even some which light up the dark : bioluminescence : being almost the last straw : of our ancestor’s sanity

they appear : in fairy rings : aka : dimensional portals ; midnight transportation to realms of the Fae : time travel ; where one night’s revelry inside : equates with a hundred years back home : & the deaths of all your family & friends : crushing one causes ; the curse of bad luck : predicting lifespans : or amphitheatres ; where only the pure-hearted ; can enjoy ; ethereal music & exotic dancing : scorch marks ; created by overheated dragon tails ; or worse ; wild witches dance in them ; & in their swivels summon devils : as architects of immortality

they grew : where lightning had struck earth ; or fallen stars lodged : they were made of : the blood of dragons : seeded by the Devil : or any one ; of a number of gods ; some benevolent ; others more perverse  

they were : the work of witches : portals for fairies : gifts & curses from the divine : reflections of our desires ; our doubts : some even translocate us : within our own minds

ii. personal
whereas i believe : the ongoing obsession : love/hate : philia/phobia : fondness/fear : fixation : infatuation : call it what you will : between fungi : & us : is because we recognise : at a sub liminal level : we realise : in the sub strate : of our souls : we acknowledge : at our deepest sub conscious core : we would not be here : without that first ancient collaboration : between fungi & plant : five hundred million years ago

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Day 10 Factoid – There’s A Lot Of Mushroom Misconceptions Around

5 False Myths About Mushrooms

1. If Animals Eat Them…
Animals eat many things I would not put 
near my mouth. (My dog’s diet is a perfect 
case in point.) Learning to identify mushrooms 
is far more reliable than trusting a moose.

2. Cooking Makes Mushrooms Safe
Try if you like but no matter how thoroughly 
you cook various poisonous mushrooms
many/most toxins do not break down 
with heat/any type of cooking. So no go, Joe.

3. Color Indicates Toxicity …
Not all brightly coloured mushrooms are toxic 
& plenty of dull coloured ones are safe to eat.

3i. Any White Mushrooms Are Safe To Eat Myth
No, white is not alright. Think this & it 
might be your last thought. Some of the most 
toxic mushrooms around are pure white 
& would love to kill you if they could.

4. All Toxic Mushrooms Taste Bad
That all poisonous mushrooms taste bad, bitter, 
or sour is baloney. Reportedly the death cap tastes
excellent. How do we know? It doesn’t always kill 
immediately — liver failure & other organ damage is also possible.

5. Cooking With A Silver Spoon Identifies Toxic Mushrooms.
Supposed sulphur-containing toxic mushrooms 
will not cause silver spoons to blacken or tarnish. 
All it means is if you survive your meal, 
you might have to polish your silver again.