Schrödinger's Thought Experiment

SCHROEDINGER'S THOUGHT EXPERIMENT

In the box there is a cat
and a capsule of cyanide.
The chances of the capsule
disintegrating, releasing deadly gas,
killing the cat,
are strictly fifty-fifty.

When we open the box
the cat will be alive
else the cat will be dead.

Until we open the box
what is the state of the cat ?

The relativity physicist
simply doesn't know.

The quantum physicist
is not at all uncertain -
the cat is both alive and dead -
in suspended animation.
It his opening of the box
that will resolve the matter
one way or the other.

The cat is an existentialist.

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Gee Cross, 10th January 1988

Publications

1990 Spider Eyes (USA)
1992 STEALING KISSES (Hyde, New Hope International)
1995 POSITIVELY POETRY (Hyde, New Hope International)
1997 Dark Planet (Internet)

*****

EXPERIMENTUL "PISICA LUI SCHRODINGER"

In cutie avem o pisica

Si o capsula cu cianura

Sansele capsulei de a se desintegra

Eliberand gazul mortal si ucigand pisica

Sunt strict egale.

Cand vom deschide cutia

pisica va fi vie

sau, in caz contrar, moarta.

Dar pana sa deschidem cutia

Care este starea pisicii?

Fizicianul relativist

pur si simplu nu stie.

Fizicianul quantic

nu are indoieli defel-

pisica este si vie si moarta-

in animatie suspendata.

Doar deschiderea cutiei

va rezolva problema

intr-un fel sau altul.

Pisica este existentialista......

GERALD ENGLAND

Romanian translation by Octavian Blaga and Florentin Smarandache

Publication

2000 The Fifth Season (Romania)

Beyond The Sun

BEYOND THE SUN

Beyond the sun
beyond Andromeda
beyond the black holes of the Anti-Thou
in the white light of eternity
our souls will mate
You sit beside me in the car
The slow policeman
whom I dare to overtake
on the motorway
is en route to a rugby match
I do not know who won or lost
There is fog on the tops
returning
This time I do not dare
to overtake
I put my trust in the eternal Thou
And beyond the sun
or in an upstairs room
I am not afraid of the Anti-Thou
I shall continue the journey
with you beside me
We shall proceed
protected
travelling at a safe speed
We shall fall into no black holes
In the white light of eternity
our souls will mate

© Gerald England

Composed: Sheffield, 12th February 1974

Publications

1994 International Poetry (USA)
1997 Dark Planet (Internet)

The Experiment

THE EXPERIMENT

The experiment
was conceived
out of two minds
not as a game
like chess
to give further excitement
exactness
two minds
so tuned together
they gave birth
to a single thought of death
And when one died
the other knew
not only the thoughts
of the dying
but for just a moment,
after the heart stopped,
before the blood of the brain
congealed,
the first telepathed thoughts
from beyond the point of death.
For a long time
he did not stir.
Did not
then
speak
but before he went
into the sleep that became
nonrecovering coma
he left two scribbled sheets,
the result of the experiment,
the sight of infinity.
She knew the content of the notes
even before they were removed
to her handbag.
Some weeks later a car
crashed on the motorway
the driver having fallen asleep at the wheel.
Some charred pieces of paper were found
in the burnt-out wreckage.
There was a half-smile on her face.

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Sheffield, 3rd February 1973

Publications

1974 THE PURPLE HOURS (Manchester, Lisa Conessa)
1986 Raw Bone (USA)
1992 STEALING KISSES (Hyde, New Hope International)
1997 Dark Planet (Internet)
2014 Cosmopoetry (Internet)