Escape from the CU-Thole Mythos (For Brian Rodgers)

Note: Brian Rodgers has worked in various capacities with the Counselling Unit for many years; he is leaving shortly to take a teaching position at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.  Last Saturday we had a going-away party for him and his family; it was also Australia Day, Brian's birthday, and the day after Burns' Night.  I wrote this for him for that occasion.  Although we'll keep in touch about various continuing projects, I will miss him very much in many ways. 

1.

Perhaps it is some strange fate

That draws you to the opposite end of the world,

Reversing the journey of your ancestors,

To take a wee course.

Thirteen years later,

You wake up:  You are going grey,

Have a PhD and a family.

What has happened?

2.

It’s the terrible power

Of the CU-Thole Mythos

Maybe you thought I said Cthulu:

Invention of the American weird

Fiction writer HP Lovecraft:

Incomprehensible, ancient, alien god,

Sleeping under the South Pacific,

not far from New Zealand.

No.  That’s the other one.

This one’s worse:

It’s “C-U”, for “Counselling Unit”, pronounced “Cuh”;

Plus thole, the Scots word for “endure” or “tolerate”,

As in Rabbie Burns’ poem, To a mouse:

“To thole the winter's sleety dribble”:

So that gives us: CU-thole Mythos,

The power that's kept you here,

Year after year,

The power that makes you not just willing

But eager to endure:

Long hours,

Mixed messages,

Endless processing,

Everyone’s IT needs,

And "winter's sleety dribble"

... All year round.

3.

But now you've got your chance

To escape to a paradoxical place:

Queensland, far to the south,

In the Deep North;

Australia's Day is Scotland's night.

Will you be able to make it out

Of the gravity well

Of the CU-thole Mythos,

Finally reaching escape velocity?

Or will you escape

Only to find that you've brought

The whole CU-Thole Mythos

Along with you

In your head?  

                        -Robert Elliott, 26 Jan 2013