Paper, hard forum once mandated, regardless of journey.
Describing a kiss or account ledger balance the same.
Complain? before it was charcoal etched in dark caves.
Today’s paper’s virtual. We tap tap between the lines.
Figuring saved or erased by pushing enter or backspace.
Top image: Painted Cave Art of the Chumash Indians Indigenous peoples of Southern California. The Chumash lived in the present-day counties of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis in southern California during the late period of history (ca. 1300 to 1804 CE). Captured by David Muench, Chumash cave painting.
De Jackson, aka WhimsyGizmo is today’s host of dVerse’ Quadrille Monday. De says:
Just pen a poem of precisely 44 words, including some form of the word paper.
Tao Talk 
This is so true:
“Describing a kiss or account ledger balance the same.”
Every piece, its own story or journey. Love it.
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Thank you, De :)
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The surfaces are different, but the intent is the same.
I love this cave art!
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Indeed! So much said in those drawings. Thanks for reading and your comment.
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You’re very welcome, Lisa.
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I think some of the oldest saved written words on clay tablets were more ledgers. than verse..
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Wonderful cave art. “Figuring saved or erased by pushing enter or backspace.” has taken the fun out of penmanship.
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Punam, it’s done something and it’s not good :( Remember the days when real letters were written and sent and then you’d wait with excitement for a response?
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I agree it’s not good! I loved writing and receiving letters. My kids scoff…who writes letters! How little they know! 😞
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I still want to have a book in my hand and not a Kindle. It’s just not the same. Love the cave painting photos!
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Beverly I’m with you on that. A real book is REAL! I love the cave painting also.
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“Today’s paper is virtual” quite a concept. Yet most documents get printed out on paper. In the VA, we pioneered “paperless charting” which used twice as much paper as previously.
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Glenn I hear you about paperless!!!! It seems like the more we headed that way the more paper we used. One disturbing aspect to paperless digital “imaging” is that afterwards the originals, such as COURT ORDERS, are tossed. Also being able to alter the original scanned images if you had the right clearance, gave it a whole “Brazil” like feel to it. Hoping you’ve seen the movie, “Brazil.”
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I saw a documentary about paper a couple of years ago – it really was the basis of civilisation! And still so important.
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Sounds like a doc I’d like to see. I know it is but I would like to see the connections of why.
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My recollection is that paper was quick and cheap to make, whereas vellum was slow and expensive. So paper meant ordinary people could access information much more rapidly.
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I can imagine it would be in comparison! I’m sure paper and the printing press worked to enlighten the masses.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000n18t
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Sarah, thank you!!!!!
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Dangit, I registered to watch and everything, only to be told:
“BBC iPlayer only works in the UK. Sorry, it’s due to rights issues. In the UK? Here’s some advice.” Maybe I can find it out on youtube…
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yeppers! Found Epi 1-3 here (for others who might want to check it out)
https://youtu.be/tguoS1nQ4Kw
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Oh great! 😊
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The history of paper in 44 words…love your overview, Lisa!
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Thank you, Lynn!
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We talk of ‘paper’ whilst tapping away at the keyboard. I still think of it as paper, though – how strange!
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I do too, and I hope it stays that way forever.
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Although it is more than 44 words, this poem:
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So sorry, my comment posted accidentally, obliterating what I had said, lol.
I have written a similar poem on the topic, tho it is more than the 44 words of a quadrille. Like you I long for the days when writing letters was still a thing.
https://chrisreilleypoems.blogspot.com/2011/08/death-of-correspondence.html
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I just read it and responded :)
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Not much romance in computers, is there?
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So true. Nicely done.
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Thank you, Miss Arcadia :)
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Beautiful musings, Lisa. Cave walls could up the stakes, as you say we are all so familiar with the backspace. But paper waste, let’s hope that’s just for the olden days.
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Thanks much, K.
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Yes…easy come easy go now…..in this throwaway world…
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:(
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Before I used to do this: Describing a kiss or account ledger balance the same. Now times have changed.
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Thank you, Grace.
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We have come a long way from cave etchings but, there is still amazing history in those stories.
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Fantastic! ✒️✒️
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Thank you, Gypsie!
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My pleasure!! 😊
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I love paper! And I love your poem! Kindles don’t do it for me, I need to hold a book.
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Carol, I’m with you on this.
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Pixels, parchment, stones – words remain only where we render them differs. A fantastic write.
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Raivenne, thank you very much for reading and your comment.
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The ever versatile paper.
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Indeed! What would we do without it?
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Exactly
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I still like actual things myself. Who in the future will bother to sift through all the garbage we’ve posted online to find the gems? (K)
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Kerfe, I fear the same. I think it’s all going to be gone in a poof one day. It’s like the computers I’ve had where the hard drive goes. Everything that’s been on them has been lost, and I know a lot of good stuff like pictures and writing are gone forever; yet I still have all of my hard copy photo albums and letters.
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I lost a lot of digital art on a computer that died. After that I went back to actually making things. And I print out everything that I write. But so many photos that have never been printed…we all have lifetimes of them.
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spot on… and the rest is history, as they say, Lisa
<3
David
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Thank you, David.
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From cabe walls, to animal hides, to linen, to pulp paper to the ethernet, always trying to account with words. Go figure.
I liked your papered history.
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Thanks much for reading and your comment, D.
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The art piece you chose is amazing … disheartening how much we rely on the tap tap tap. I still handwrite thank you notes and special letters. I will until my fingers stop flexing.
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It is an amazing art piece! I hear you on the hand writing. I prefer it by far to the tapping.
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Beautiful imagery and poem Li! <3
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Thank you <3
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A great post, Lisa. It is amazing how the use of paper has changed. Virtual paper gone like a magician’s flash paper!.
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Well-said, Dwight, and thank you :)
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You are welcome!
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This is so true Lisa. Many times I begin my process on paper and move to the computer.
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Thank you, Linda. I have pieces of paper laying all over the place with notes, sketches, ideas, reminders and also see paper as a part of the creative process.
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Then I’m in good company!
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