The Shopping List

This poem is an extract from the best seller biography "The Lives and Times of Roland Givan" by an unknown author * . It relates to the eating habits of the great person himself while at the infamous Coventry Polytechnic. Given here is only an extract of the poem, used to illustrate the lengths of torment and desperation the 'human' mind can be forced to in order to write letters such as the copy shown below.

hort, silent, stagnant,
It lies in wait,
Forgotten for another week,
Persistent in its silence.

Unchanging, unstoppable, unfeeling,
Haunting the darkest recesses
of that cynical mind,
Lurking, scheming, lingering.

Wily, wanton, wastrel,
Making its presence felt,
Emerging each week,
Calling for satiation,
Satiation of its ignoble desires.

As you, the reader, will already know; the poem continues on for another ten verses, of which only the final verse need be repeated.

Quixotic, quizzical, quotidian,
Suppressed for a few more days,
Allowed to rest in peace,
Tired, drained, used,
Waiting in fear, for the next calling.

This poem is a very moving example, only to be 'fully' understood by those friends close to R.G. In retrospect, the verses reveal only a little under close examination.

Verse one, obviously this refers to the mans warped mind and the manner I which it worked, squirreling away tiny snippets of information, twisting in upon itself, creating imaginary figures and monstrosities of the sort used to frighten children.

Verse two refers to the minds motivation and the way of its working, a 'one track mind' with a subtle twist. This verse may also refer to the physical activities of Him, the way, according to friends, in which he avoided sunlight like the plaque whenever possible.

Verse three again has the reference to both physical and mental qualities, although mental activity is predominantly described here. This mental activity being the manifestation of the 'shopping list', coming to the attention of his mind, supposedly 'forgotten' for the past week but really being with held by willpower strong enough to hide such peculiarities.

The remaining verses follow through the life cycle of the 'shopping list'. The final verse evidently repeats the references to both the physical and mental qualities. The physical side being held in check from the shopping urge for a short period of time, as indicated by the passage, this time not necessarily being a week, frequently less. This allows the tired body and mind a short respite, allowing recuperation of the drained self, until the next calling of mind or body.

Here is a full copy of the letter addressed to J.Sainburys of Coventry.

30 Nicholls Street,
Coventry,
CV2 4GY
20th February 1989

Dear sir/madam,
                I would like to enquire as to the possibility of having my shopping delivered to my home. My shopping list does not vary at all. The list is as follows :

1 twin pack of bourbons
1 pack breakfast slices
1 American style filled pizza
1 pack of pitta bread
1 pack of popadom crisps
1 single service frozen lasagne
1 small tin of Heinz beans
1 pack of low fat pork sausages(1/2lb)
1 steak & kidney pie
2x4 packs of French set yoghurts
2x5 packs of Sainsburys sausage rolls

Yours faithfully,

Roland Givan

* The author was found dead, having committed ritual suicide using a silver fork, just after the books completion.