Years ago, I acquired two volumes of "Grooks" by Danish scientist, poet, mathematician, inventor, and author, Peit Hein.
Hein died in 1996 and most of his works were out of print. However, they can be read at this site which also posted this information:
"Update: It looks like they are back in print! The Danish publisher Borgen has released "Collected Grooks I"
and "Collected Grooks II". That's something over three hundreed grooks in the two volumes. I haven't seen them
in any north american stores, but you can order them from the publisher at http://www.borgen.dk/search.asp?keyword=Piet+Hein&btSearch=S%F8g. I ordered them both
and was very impressed at the speedy delivery (5 days)."
Here are some of my favorites:
ON PROBLEMS
Our choicest plans
have fallen through,
our airiest castles
tumbled over,
because of lines
we neatly drew
and later neatly
stumbled over.
EXPERTS
Experts have
their expert fun
ex cathedra
telling one
just how nothing
can be done.
ROAD SENSE
God save us, now they're murdering
another winding road,
and another lovely countryside
will take another load
of pantechnicon and car and motorbike.
They're busy making biger roads,
and better roads and more,
so that people can discover
even faster than before
that everything is everywhere alike.
MISSING LINK
Man's a kind
of Missing Link,
fondly thinking
My all time favorite by Hein is this:
A PSYCHOLOGICAL TIP
Whenever you're called on to make up your mind,
and you're hampered by not having any,
the best way to solve the dilemma, you'll find,
is simply by spinning a penny.
No -- not so that chance shall decide the affair
while you're passively standing there moping;
but the moment the penny is up in the air,
you suddenly know what you're hoping.
he can think.
MORE HASTE --
Inscription for a monument at the crossroads.
Here lies, extinguished in his prime,
a victim of modernity:
but yesterday he hadn't the time --
and now he has eternity.
PROBLEMS
Problems worthy
of attack
prove their worth
by hitting back.