Provoke

I assume the choice of the word provoke for today’s daily post prompt was specifically chosen to provoke a reaction, whereby those who partake in the challenge of writing daily would rush to their keyboards and compose fascinating and witty pieces of prose such that previous winners of the Nobel prize for Literature would be shamed into handing back their prizes. Let’s hope so.

We live in very strange times where the incidence of knife crime, for that is how it is described is on the increase. I wonder if it is described as knife crime in a vain attempt to allay the fears of certain sections of the populous of a more nervous disposition, who are hoodwinked into thinking it is the theft of a kitchen knife from the local hardware store , rather than a vicious stabbing.

The days when a couple of chaps, who after a minor disagreement would be provoked into a bout of fisticuffs seem long gone, replaced by the more unsavoury aspect of gang culture which results in a death from stabbing, provoked by members of one gang intruding on another’s turf.

Strange how a word can lead you in a certain direction, often I think, from the feel of the word rather than necessarily the meaning, for provoke can be to anger, enrage, or to stir up. Conversely it can arouse or incite, both words one could use to describe the raising of an army, provoking an entire generation to heed the call to defend the nation in times of war.

I’m sure just recently on Mother’s day there were many a child provoked into the purchase of a bunch of flowers from the local petrol station, or a small box of chocolates from the supermarket, by a quiet phone call from their father. “Don’t forget it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday, do you need me to text our address, I wasn’t sure if you’d forgotten where we live.” I suppose, it is the thought that counts, even if they needed provoking into that thought.

Men, as we all know are different from women, for it takes considerably more to provoke a man into a visit to the doctors surgery, women go on a regular basis to have their bits and pieces inspected, whereas a man will carry a great pustulous injury for some considerable time. It is not until it becomes the size of a melon that he can be provoked into a visit to the quack.

I was tempted to write something controversial on first seeing the choice of word for today but decided to refrain as I didn’t want to provoke any ill feeling and end up being trollied or whatever they call it on Twitter, it’s bad enough having Trump spouting controversial nonsense without me joining in as well.