October Last

October Last

Children giggle on the street
Black costume yellow pumpkin
And trick or treat
Scary movies are to release
Holiday mood is already here
October last
The final day of the month
I see trees turning brown
Houses decorated with cobwebs
In the front
Tell me
What story is in your head
Which candy have you got the most
Did you enjoy the feast

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Cosmos

Cosmos

Dabbing hues on canvas
Printing colours with inner voice
An image of cosmos
Entrenched through layers of atmosphere
Heavy as it seems
Intangible as it actually is
Where to find parts of speech
One can assemble the beauty of dream
Light dark and something in between

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Cold Case

Cold Case

Rebellious act shouts
Incongruence reacts
Expectation seems heavy
Sometimes suffocating too
Cruel assault leaves
Grievance and regret
Eternal separation hurts the most
Over the course of life and death
Youth stays in mind
Words never fade
If experience really teaches
When lesson have we all learnt

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Organizing a conference

Most of us went to the meeting held by our professor this noon. We are going to organize an international postgraduate cognitive linguistics conference. It is a very good way to help us share and learn from different outstanding scholars and peers. Of course there will be a lot of tasks required to run this even smoothly. However, it will add some excitement to our regular studies at school.

I remember a similar activity in the past. It was the graduation banquet project during my studies in hotel management in Switzerland. The whole project took the entire term for planning, implementing, and so forth. Everyone got involved and boy were we busy back then! Basically we formed a banquet company and had a chairman and other managerial positions such as financial officer, kitchen manager, public relations, etc. We invited a keynote speaker giving a talk related to our theme, which was “Phantom of the Opera”. And guess what? We even sold tickets for the banquet! It was like really running a business. That event was one of the most incredible experiences I ever had in academic days. I got to learn how to cooperate with people from all sorts of culture, mindset, personality, and backgrounds. Team spirit was what counted as a fundamental factor of success. We didn’t win the first prize but good enough for standing ovation that night!

Sometimes, I wonder how those classmates are doing now. What have they become career-wise? As far as I’m concerned, not everyone got into hospitality industry. Like myself, I went into language and now on the track to cognitive linguistics and aim for cognition and neuroscience in the specific domain of linguistics, language acquisition, bilingualism and multilingualism…

Stage

Stage

Pull out strength
Mise en place
Material and idea
Improvise
Walk elegantly
Talk powerfully
Stage
Where I find attractive
There I am energetic

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Unified conceptualization

No wonder they call this place ‘sunshine city’. We have had really nice weather for the last few weeks. I like to listen to the sound of wave during the night and be able to wake up in sunshine as well. School is all right; and I am getting used to reading a lot. A lot means excessive, incredibly huge amount, etc. Then I realize it’s better to do some key-point speed reading otherwise it would take forever finishing tasks.

I still find neuroscience very fascinating. The more I read the more interest I develop. After all, this is a perfect time doing a great variety of reading in various fields. As for cognitive linguistics, my personal feel is if this cannot be applied in the pragmatic fashion, it is just a theory, not much attractive to the general public. Of course, for those who like philosophical stimulation, debate, analysis, it is indeed a good medium elevating one’s intellectual level. But I am more concerned how lay audience can also benefit from this sort of research as language is an integral part of human activity. I believe many people would like to know more about language they use daily and the ones they wish to master apart from their mother tongue.

Cross-cultural and cross-linguistic research gives rise to certain results demonstrating people’s conceptual structures and metaphorical implications are different. Yet how do human beings conjure up metaphors at conceptual level? Is it a natural mechanism or is it mainly influenced by the speech community and pedagogy? Do people have a choice or not? Having a common ground for conveying metaphorical meanings is necessary but how do people know the message receiver has the similar knowledge domain?

My other question is the easy and prevalent access to the Internet. The world has become smaller and smaller. Does this mean in the near future humans will have, on the average, similar cognition towards the external world as well as the internal one regardless of which society you are from? Is it a good thing to go in that direction? If this day really comes, then what’s fun being an individual, being able to conceptualize things in singular ways and proving the existence of self in this universe? I reckon this day, if not impossible, will greatly impact on every aspect of our civilization in human history, and perhaps bring about consequences we never expect.

Worldview

Worldview

Running barefoot
Amassing sea salt
I never had coke
Nor rock ‘n’ roll
You think
I’m poor
I say
Not quite so
If comparison doesn’t hold
Where is the line one must draw
Worldview
It’s not just your side of scope
As for mine
One can never know
Therefore don't impose
What you reckon is real
Upon my untainted world
Taking photos
Sighing sorrow
Whatever you want to rule
Don't get me involved
Because I want to live
Like a dove
Calm and peaceful

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Lecture

Lecture

A series of floating messages
Conveying in the air
Cut through
Layers of convoluted thought
Eyes are dancing
Minds are winding
Is the ivory tower merely academic
Value we hold
Moral we have
What else constitutes the path
Of transform
Lecture
One need not agree
However
It may be a moment of contrast
Bringing stimulation of every sort

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Rain

Rain

Rain
Scribbling down
Semiotic representations
Gently tapped on the windowpane
A configuration of diverse percepts
Man seems to manipulate
Words of meaning
In every aspect
Domain and frame
That
I can’t distinguish
Rain on my face
Or from someone else’s heartbreak
Rain
Mixing up
Whether it is in or under
We all get the effect
Without an overt concept

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Maple Red Again

Maple Red Again

Bus sped down the hill
Miles of endless fields
Yellow brown and green hues
Freeze
On the aperture of my insomniac soul
Wind tosses around
Flying leaves form
I see maple red again
On this day of blue autumn rain
Dexterous as an artist
Whoever painted the lake
It is the most divine work
Unveiling my deepest thought

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Time and Space

Time and Space

In darkness
I see an anguish wave
Slashing hard against fate
Movements of eyes
Vivid scenes from my past
Although I can breathe
I can’t feel any pain
Time and space
Alternate at a different pace
Is it subconscious
Or doesn’t relate
As I try hard to escape
The sudden brightness seems
To pull back
An inextricable puzzle
Lying unsolved in my cold-sweated bed
Even so a new day still prevails
In the end

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Conceptualization

Conceptualization

Emergence of perception
Intertwines with embodiment
A blend gives rise to
Conceptualization
How effortless it seems
This mental work of complexity
In fact the mechanism involves
More than what we think
Neural networks must fire
Semantic meaning thus appears
Yet without a match
Consciousness will prevent
A process
You and I take for granted
Thought you might have
Metaphor then projects
Such is human mind
No one can be exempt
But the key point to me
Is finding equilibrium
In every move
I am going to make

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Invisible

Invisible

Guru says
I’m invisible
How is that
I ask
Circle of people
Every individual seeks
His or her soul mate
However
I don’t
For some reason
I reckon
Darkness surrounds
The vicinity of faith
Desire lies in heart
One must take
A positive thought
And steadfast step
Unveiling the secret
Of success
Master smiles
I nod yes

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Sign of Happiness

Unlike what I went through in Dallas, the first week in England was totally a blast. The weather was extremely good, sunshine, blue sky, and cool breeze. Interestingly, the air reminded me of all those old days in Swiss, France, and Norway.

I took a walk down the street and along the seafront, encountering many pleasant people. Luckily I was able to locate a place for studies. Positive thinking and strong desire truly played a critical role in finding my new home.

Flipping through several pages in Cognitive Linguistics, I realized it wasn’t that difficult to digest the information at all. That was a good sign.

Some people have mentioned the book “The Secret” a few times to me; and I saw it at Eslite in Taipei. The point is I had learned the essence of the book many years ago. So, I told myself : yes, I want a happy life and I will get it eventually.


Riding the bus to Falmer only took about 30 minutes, which isn’t too bad. I always enjoy riding the bus. The campus is not pretty compared to the U of Utah, but well, I’m not here for a beautiful campus.

I guess this is another Moon Festival I have to spend overseas, not that I feel sad or what, it is just making me wonder where time has gone to.

There are still lots of things I need to adjust in this country, I’m afraid. But I will get by fine. Patience is what I need the most, and I always know that!

Brighton

Brighton

Sunny pier protrudes into the sea
Cyclists align on the street
An old feeling writes
Few lines of forsaken rites
I stand in the centre of Brighton
Unfolding a new life
But green forests are still
Weighing heavily
Reminding I shall never
Ever forget to fly
To our lovely city
In the east

With mountains so white

Written by JerSki Bjorksen

Good-Bye Dear Friend

Good-Bye My Dear Friend

On my way to science
I dug up an old tape
A story and an interesting past
No more religion
No more midnight regret
Now when I look back
Ripples of yesterday
Carefree summer paths
On Geneva Lake
I see a smiling face
With moonlight on your back
My heart had reluctantly said
Good-bye dear friend
Memory has come to an end


Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Mulberry Tree

Mulberry Tree

Silkworm project kicked in
Everybody got so excited
Hand picked green leaves
Stacked in a bamboo kit
Prepared was a gift
For the little babies
Mulberry tree
Kids’ favorite
Stood still
Next to the main street
Waiting for our greeting
In the evening
In a blink
Children became big
Cocoons changed into a new thing
Who said life was too boring
We were actually very happy about it

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Deleting Love

Deleting Love

Numbers and symbols
Are placed neatly
Faces and messages
Represent inextricably
A world
Full of complexity
When passion is gone
A single word becomes obnoxious
No reason should be applied
To deleting love
One by one
Data is getting less
Alphabet by alphabet
Until nothing is left
Perhaps
This will render a new name

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

European Air

Somewhere on the way to neuroscience and language, I encountered unexpected consequences. Flood, scorching sun, and unpleasant leg lesion made me wonder whether it was fate or personal willingness draining me in such a dilemma-leaving the New Continent.

Several messages from old friends found me on a rainy day. MRT seemed stagnant albeit people 's rapid movement along the rail of escalator. The chagrin of feeble, old couples smudged the clear blue sky with trembling fear. I thought to myself why on earth man tends to falter all the time.

I reckoned it was going to be a long while before I returned to Europe; but it turns out I’m leaving for it soon. Perhaps there will be that familiar air hanging, or at least the lost forgotten souvenir of Le Bouveret and Geneva Lake, in the middle of night.

One of my good friends was a genius because he learned British English so well that most people wouldn’t think he was Chinese. I was amazed at what he had achieved in language learning, thus kindling my passion for language acquisition.

Turning Point

Turning point

School of life continues
No matter one likes it or not
Decisive moment renews
Whether it’s past or future
One step ahead lies
Another world of success
If I still hold up plans
Turning point
What would you say
A deceased personage
We shall never forget
Moving on
Wild lilies also obtain
Their blossom
With mellow fragrance
Shining in the sun dance

Written by JerSki BjorkSen