POEMS - With Tongue In Cheek

[mariana44]

Fame at last, Keith---well done !!

[keithgood838]

POETIC IMPECUNIOUSNESS

Many thanks, Marian, L&H and Marian(a).
In all modesty, the text of October Ode looks
pretty decorated in colourful autumn leaves;
they tend to 'amplify' the perverse appeal of the piece.
I hope Recession Repercussions lifted the gloom
for readers of the business page.
Marian(a), when I published my book of verses I was asked
if I was ready for the accompanying fame and fortune.
My reply was that I wasn't in the least interested in the fame;
however I wouldn't turn my nose up if a bit of fortune came my way.
Neither, in the scheme of things, materialised.
Keith

PS I have other compensations, such as my lovely agreeable
friends in this forum.

[keithgood838]

DREAMERS

Soldiers are citizens of death's grey land,
Drawing no dividend from time's tomorrows.
In the great hour of destiny they stand,
Each with his fueds and jealousies and sorrows.
Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win
Some flaming fatal climax with their lives.
Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin
They think of firelit homes, clean beds, and wives.

I see them in foul dug-outs, gnawed by rats,
And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain,
Dreaming of things they did with b alls and bats,
And mocked by hopeless longing to regain
Bank holidays, and picture shows, and spats,
And going to the office in the train.

Siegfried Sassoon ------- 1917

THE GENERAL

'Good morning; good morning!' the general said
When we met him last week on our way to the Line.
Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of 'em dead
And we're cursing his staff for incompetent swine.
'He's a cheery old card,' grunted Harry to Jack
As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack.

But he did for them both with his plan of attack.

Siegfried Sassoon ------1917

[keithgood838]

'Heap high the farmer's wintry hoard!
Heap high the golden corn!
No richer gift has Autumn poured
From out her lavish horn!'

John Greenleaf Whittier
(born Massachusetts 1807 - 1892)

'No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds -
November!'

Thomas Hood (1799 - 1845)

[keithgood838]

Oft when on my couch I lie
in vacant or in pensive mood - Wordsworth

SEASONS on SHOW

Spring was the star turn,
vernal bliss relished
in scenic West Cork.
(Late spring was the sadness-shadowed act.)
Summer, at a new venue,
brought the usual blend
of glorious triumphs
and quiet interludes
interspersed with unseasonal storms.
Autumn, right on cue,
has presented some golden moments
of literary fulfilment
and third-generation joy -
bulwarks against the dramatic entrance
of curtain-closing winter
waiting in the wings ...

Keith Good

[keithgood838]

Woe and pain, pain and woe
Are my lot, night and noon
To see your bright face clouded so
Like a mournful moon - My Dark Rosaleen (Ireland)
by James Clarence Mangan (1803-1859)

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

Of style and strength, and skills often exquisite,
and speedy interpassing just divine,
whose rewards are much more than bread and butter.

So what about those talented stars is it,
who one minute magnificently shine
and the next drag the game into the gutter?

Keith Good

[keithgood838]

Thanksgiving Day in the United States dates back
to the 17th century when the Pilgrim settlers
in Massachusetts first celebrated nature's bounteous
autumn harvest. The commemoration is observed each year
on the last Thursday of November:

OLD THANKSGIVING RHYME

The year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
The harvest all is gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.

Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain,
So open wide the doorway -
Thanksgiving comes again!

Author unknown

[keithgood838]

Here's a poem for our transatlantic forum friends,
Lori, Pam, Ed, Paul jh et al. Happy Thanksgiving, folks:

'TWAS the NIGHT of THANKSGIVING

'Twas the night of Thanksgiving,
but I just couldn't sleep.
I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep.
The leftovers beckoned - the dark meat and white,
but I fought the temptation with all of my might.
Tossing and turning with anticipation,
the thought of a snack became infatuation.
So, I raced to the kitchen,
flung open the door
and gazed at the fridge,
full of goodies galore.
I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes,
pickles and carrots, beans and tomatoes.
I felt myself swelling so plump and so round,
till all of a sudden, I rose off the ground.
I crashed through the ceiling,
floating into the sky
with a mouthful of pudding and a handful of pie.
But, I managed to yell as I soared past the trees ...
Happy eating to all - pass the cranberries, please!

Anonymous

[mariana44]

Just in passing--do Americans still have Pumpkin Pie at Thanksgiving---or is that a "Walton Family" tradition only !!

[Marian]

I'm sure they do Marian.
Marian

[keithgood838]

Yes Marian(a), it was proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and prayer
by governer William Bradford of Massachusetts to be shared by
neighbouring colonists and native American indians. In 1863
it was declared a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated
with traditional food (including pumpkin pie) consumed at family gatherings.
Keith

PS I wish we had something similar here;
to paraphrase, it's still a long, long time from August
to late December without a bank holiday.

[mariana44]

I agree Keith--although saying that--the time from August Bank Holiday to now--nearly December has just flown past .

[keithgood838]

This humorous ditty by our old friend, Anonymous,
is both tongue-in-cheek and tongue-in-twist:

FLEET FLIGHT

A flea met a fly in a flue,
Said the flea, 'Let us fly.'
Said the fly, 'Let us flee.'
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

Keith

[mariana44]

That is more like a tongue-twister-I have not come across that one before.

[keithgood838]

MASTER'S MISHAP

We knew his driving could be wayward,
sometimes going out of bounds
from off the tee,
but these mishits are unheard
of, finding a water hazard
then crashing into a tree.
Promptly Elin, a good caddie,
was there with a rescue club,
so he incurred only a minor penalty.
(But he'll still be number one to you and me.)

Keith