Re: THE WEEKLY WALKABOUT, E.G.

THE WEEKLY WALKABOUT, E.G.

Poem 23 of 230: ABOVE EVEREST

When flying from Nepal to Thailand,
I was given a "good-side" seat;
And, as I looked out the plane window,
The view I saw was really neat.

For breaking through a thick *** of cloud
Were the high Himalayan peaks;
And, rising the highest of them all,
Mount Everest - heaven bespeaks!

From http://www.walkaboutsverse.741.com

On Apr 5, 11:12 am, walkaboutsverse <david1fra...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
THE WEEKLY WALKABOUT, E.G.

After you've finished here, you may like to hear this poem sung on
myspace.

Poem 162 of 230: TEES TO TYNE: FIRST IMPRESSIONS - SUMMER 2001

Where traditions are not so rare;
Sea, country and works scent the air;
A multitude of monuments,
Planted tubs and patterned pavements.

The longish pedestrian malls;
The remnants of defensive walls;
"Broken-roofed buildings" are a gauge
Of the respect for heritage.

Wheat, rape and pines in the fields;
Estuaries guarded by shields;
Long sandy beaches and wide scenes;
Romantic-ruin go-betweens.

Rivers in parts licked by trees,
Or fringed by boat clubs, wharfs, gantries,
And crossed by practical delights -
Varied spans, forming pleasing sights.

Fine churches headed at Durham;
Football kits ad infinitum;
Kept castles - one for study;
Masonry behind masonry.

And, with moulding-works out that way,
It's somewhere for a longer stay..?

Fromhttp://www.walkaboutsverse.741.com

On Apr 2, 10:35 am, walkaboutsverse <david1fra...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:



(I was there, again, and, again, enjoyed it, by the way.)

On Mar 27, 9:29 pm, walkaboutsverse <david1fra...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

THE WEEKLY WALKABOUT, E.G.

A tad early this time as it's the 41st gathering this coming
weekend...

Poem 193 of 230, walkaboutsverse.741.com: THE 35TH MORPETH
NORTHUMBRIAN GATHERING - SPRING 2002

Toward Morpeth's Gathering,
Either side of Great North Road,
Daffodils gleefully showed
Their stalk-dressing flowering.

And then, at the Gathering,
Another great flowering
Of English heritage, showed
Through competitions that glowed
With competent folk-singing,
Storytelling, bag-piping -
The small-pipes rapidly rode
By hands, in staccato mode -
Clogdancing and stick-dressing:
Things that are worth addressing.

http://www.walkaboutsverse.741.com

On Mar 22, 11:03 am, walkaboutsverse <david1fra...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

THE WEEKLY WALKABOUT, E.G.

It's good that possible solutions for global-warming are often
discussed now, but birth-control remains largely taboo; 50 million
people IS too many for the area of land called England, and 6.6
billion IS too many for the area of land called earth...

Poem 102 of 230: CONGESTION

The waxing view;
And the taboo:

Again-and-again for congestion,
Leaders make this sort of suggestion -

Nationalisation,
Remuneration,
Standardisation,
Cooperation,
Integration;

Fine...but (through dread of accusation -
"They don't care about our children" -
And of losing the next election)
Most politicians never mention -
Promote a lower population.

I do care for the lives of children,
And think birth-control mends congestion -

Curb the birth queue
And influx, too.

Fromhttp://www.walkaboutsverse.741.com

On Mar 15, 12:34 pm, walkaboutsverse <david1fra...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

THE WEEKLY WALKABOUT, E.G.
A response to the Cheltenham Festival...

Poem 146 of 230: HORSES FOR COURSES?

To some, in income-anticipation,
Horse-balking at gates is a small debase;
To me, it seems a memory/fear case
Over the coming whip-castigation.
To some, the winning jockey's elation
Is the highlight of an ended horserace;
To me, the horse's bulged veins and scared face
Undermine the winners' celebration.
I can't condone a punter's desire
To gamble rather than earn a living,
But can acknowledge a jockey's courage;
I can't see and think as a raced sire,
Nor feel the scrapes hedges are giving,
But find horses choiceless in their bondage.

Fromhttp://www.walkaboutsverse.741.com

On Mar 8, 10:45 am, walkaboutsverse <david1fra...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

THE WEEKLY WALKABOUT, E.G.

At last, the BBC have produced a series, called "White", allowing
English people to openly lament the loss of traditional English
culture and values, due to the mass immigration (and emigration) of
the last 50 years, hence I post this poem...

Poem 213 of 230: MORE AMOR PATRIAE

There is Tai Chi and there is tennis,
Line is fine but so is Morris,
There is curry and there is the roast,
And, when England is playing host,
It is the rest-of-the-world's good wish
To sense culture that is English.

From -http://www.walkaboutsverse.741.com

On Mar 1, 12:20 pm, walkaboutsverse <david1fra...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

THE WEEKLY WALKABOUT, E.G.

I made this journey 20 years ago...

Poem 10 of 230, walkaboutsverse.741.com: LAND'S END TO JOHN O' GROATS

At the bold age of twenty-one
(Via Hong Kong, China, Macau)
I flew from Sydney to London -
Land's End to John o' Groats my vow.

I took a train out of London,
Found a highway and thumbed a ride;
I headed down toward Brighton,
Then hitch-hiked roads the coast beside.

On the face of my shoulder bag,
A sketched map of Aus. was my tag;
For said a Scot who'd hitched Europe:
"Some emblem may well boost your hope."

And drivers throughout the island,
Over a two month riding span,
Were the kindest folks I have met -
I swear not once did I get wet!

I stopped overnight in Portsmouth,
And one or two nights in Torquay;
Then headed along to Plymouth -
Still travelling beside the sea.

After viewing rugged Land's End,
I began the long journey north -
North-east, rather, before a bend,
Somewhere in a bit from Bournemouth.

On the way, I saw relatives,
Whom after leaving I did miss -
Their homes' cosy atmosphere,
And their local pubs' good cheer.

And the hitched-lifts came from many:
An off-work Bobbie, a truckie,
As well as on-duty soldiers -
Thanks, and I've not said where each was!

I headed west through South Wales,
And viewed Cardiff Arms from afar -
I was hitching with local males,
And they showed me from in the car.

I stayed a while at Swansea -
Saw the local footballers play;
Then hitched north through Llandovery -
Beautiful farmland, I must say.

I slept mostly in B. & B's,
Where the full breakfasts sure did please;
But also stopped in Youth Hostels,
Where it's the comradeship that tells.

My favourite sites were Torquay,
Old St. Andrews (noted shortly)
The road Glasgow-to-Inverness,
The Lakes, plus London's spots, no less.

From Colwyn Bay, I headed east
To Manchester, my place of birth;
Then on the Lakes my eyes did feast,
Before I passed by Solway Firth.

Onto Edinburgh, Glasgow,
St. Andrews, before Inverness;
Then waves from locals were the go -
Warm folks round John o' Groats, I'd guess.

(c) David Franks 2003
Fromhttp://www.walkaboutsverse.741.com

On Feb 23, 11:36 am, walkaboutsverse <david1fra...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

THE WEEKLY WALKABOUT, E.G.

I'd agree with the recently-retired Fidel Castro on many - not all -
things, including I'm sure this...

Poem # 41 of 230: EVEN AFTER LINCOLN, STEINBECK, AND KING

Written at a public toilet by the
Statue of Liberty:
"What of Equality, Fraternity;
And Democracy!?"

The U.S.A. has aided dictators -
Right-Wing leaders, of course;
So some's bestowal of democracy
Is hypocrisy.

(C) David Franks 2003
Fromhttp://www.walkaboutsverse.741.com

On Feb 19, 9:31 am, walkaboutsverse <david1fra...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Last week, the new PM of Australia, Kevin Rudd, made a formal apolgy
to Aborigines, hence I post this poem...

Poem 76 of 230: LAND RIGHTS

If there is a good thing
From the Second World War
It's that most peoples learnt
To conquer lands no more.

In Africa, Asia,
And the Pacific, too:
Post-war independence -
Steps only bigots rue.

But for some indigenes,
Outnumbered much-too-much,
It has all come too late
For liberty, as such.

So 'tis in Australia,
And America's sites,
Where the best now, I think,
Is to respect land rights.

(C) David Franks 2003
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