The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Gervase
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 02:03 PM

I'd rather wait for a fistula or gonorrhoea.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 02:03 PM

I'm delighted to see the burst of poetic creativity on this thread. We are finally realizing the full potential of the concept in hand here... ;-)

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 01:58 PM

at least you acknowledge that with this collection of deliberately piss-poor doggerel we're "in your rhythm", Waveydavey...

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 12:34 PM

...I, myself, have retired from versification, but nice to see you all in the WAV rhythm - whilst watching the pot boil, watering the English ivy, donning your tennis shoes or clogs, or merely a-waiting the next Weekly Walkabout.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: GUEST,His Brother's Brother
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 12:02 PM

#6 The Merry Muse

I turn on the TV,
   There is time until the pottage boils,
To see what I can see,
    More namby-pamby multi-wulti-culturalism,
A shame that gone are the ways of the toil of the soil,
   No chords or fourty-two and-a-half parts, singing while they work,
Immigrants make us forget,
Our own good culture loyal.

Encyclopedias say this should not be,
The world wishes culture English for to see,
Our roast is our boast, not foreign-curree,
   Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, dear me.

I turn to sing-a-ling, a merry old tune,
Which globalism has gone and sold away,
No accompaniment, ancient as woad lovely,
FROM NOW ON, that motto like gold is,
Gone be foreign influences as fol-de-ree.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Joseph P
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 11:30 AM

And cos its nearly home time

Going home
In a bit
Time for rugby
To get fit

Stress relief
It is for me
Then lots of meat
for my tea

Cos meat is yummy
Especially steak
And maybe lamb
For tea I'll make

Sometimes Bacon
At breakfast time
You eat yours
And I'll eat mine

Sausages
They are the best
though one thing
I must confess

British ones
Are the main type
of sausages
That I do like

So segregate
these foreign nationals
for providing
poor sausage rationals!

That last bit
is really poor
But its home time
so there'll be no more

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Joseph P
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 10:04 AM

Running cat
chasing rat
Wearing hat
Catch the rat
Chewing fat
Fancy that

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 08:43 AM

He won't be very happy with me for sharing it, but His Brother's Brother spends no more than 5 minutes per verse.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 07:01 AM

I have ants
In my pants.
But they'll stay;
It's nature's way.
Sheep can forage
Mongst my borage
Cause it grows
Between my toes
On English soil
Where we toil
Over pottage boil
And don't despoil
The natural scene
Little chooks
And and cows and sheep
Are all my friends
Must make amends
For nasty slaughter
It boils my water
Makes me cross
Such a loss!
Who is boss?
Who gives a toss?
Not the hoggett
In his stall;
You've took his balls.



(I wrote that while the kettle was boiling, Wavey - I dearly hope you haven't expended any more time and energy on your own efforts.)

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 05:51 AM

Thanks David - but I still say it's the "deep-mine earth", above.

And to Brother and LH, re: "specism"...

Poem 95 of 230: A GOOD LIFE

To fauna,
    Home-flora.
Sheep for wool -
    Fed till full.
Chooks for eggs -
    Free-range legs.
Milk from cows -
    Should well house:
Better grade
    Can be made.
Fish for game -
    Cut the pain.
Dogs for pets -
    No regrets.
And question
    Castration.

This does say
    Buddha's way,
And Blake's way:
    A good life -
For all life.

From walkaboutsverse.741.com

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: GUEST,His Brother's Brother
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 05:24 PM

#5 The Pecking Order

Bovines are nice,
Zebras are jollier,
But not so chimps,
Judging by their holler.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 03:52 PM

Did you know that the clock that called the Bridgewater boat yard workers, at Worsley, back to work after lunch used to strike 13 insead of 1? To make sure the workers heard it! The boat yard is still there but mainly for pleasure craft and the clock has been rehoused in St Marks church.

The Gnome gnows trivia, I see
About history local, you'll agree
The canal there is yellow
Because some rude fellow
Couldn't wait whilst bursting for a pee

D.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 03:35 PM

By Jove, we're getting down to some real poetry now. Jolly good!

I think it worthwhile to mention just in passing that I have seen no evidence of specism yet in any of WAV's postings or poetry. This is good. He gets the Chongo Chimp stamp of approval for avoiding specist remarks and behaviour.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 12:50 PM

Used to live near them there places, Paul - so "Worsley Village" (above or here) is literally a walkabout-poem.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Joseph P
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 11:18 AM

In 88 (well 87 now) messages time, will all the text change colour depending on who is talking, and only appear at the bottom of the screen?

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Stu
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 11:03 AM

800!

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Stu
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 11:02 AM

Walkabout
likes to Talkabout
things he knows
Fuckallabout.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Joseph P
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 10:59 AM

As the clock does tick
They take the mick
Of poetry
With verses Harmlessly
written, it seems,

But there are examples given
Of thinly veiled racism
He suggests Regulation
to protect the pure Nation
By whatever means?

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 10:37 AM

Am I? It wasn't meant cruelly. But if, as someone suggested earlier, satire is the best form of subversion...

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: catspaw49
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 10:10 AM

You're an incredibly cruel person Ruth. Bless you.

Spaw

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 10:09 AM

Lovely, Ruth, just lovely, e.g.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Paul Burke
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 09:29 AM

And while you're at Worsley
Turn around and look inversely
In the general direction of Wigan
And you'll see the motorway viaduct- a big 'un
Where the traffic thunders past without cease,
Then get some chips covered in grease
And a pint at the Bridgewater Arms
Like generations of hard working miners before
Who dug the encarboned coal in days of yore,
And loaded it onto boats called starvationeers
To be conveyed to Wigan Pier.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: s&r
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 09:25 AM

Now that's poetry Ruth

Stu

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 09:18 AM

Eating, e.g., rice, sultanas
And something that rhymes with sultanas
Oh bugger, I suppose I'd better put bananas
e.g., even though they're foreign and I don't like them much
Anyway, of such
Is my sparse, poet's diet comprised,
e.g., if one wishes
To be a literary master
Ine must be a faster,
If all that is on offer, e.g.,
Is burgers, chicken, fishes
Or foreign muck like, e.g., curry,
No!
I choose instead to eat a stottie
Whilst stroking, e.g., the botty
of a bouncing, young, clogger
e.g, I'd love to snog her
but my lips
are wrapped round bread and chips
and soon will be chomping on
my plastic, e.g., English flute,
Which I'll record, mute,
For your enjoyment on my website.
Did I mention my website?
It is a great website.
Here's a link to my website.
Later you might
Like to have, e.g, a look.
Meanwhile, I'll be sitting by a brook
(Not Rupert, as I don't approve, e.g., of poofs)
But by a Good English stream,
Lost in my lovely English, e.g., Aryan dream.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Joseph P
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 08:20 AM

I think the Aboriginies dont like people walking on it, but realise they make more money if they let people clamber on the rock.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 06:48 AM

"The remarkable thing about Worsley's canals is the fifty miles underground: that seems to have escaped your writing" (Stu)...
"Where earliest of coal-canals meet,
    And have their waters ochred
By the seepage of old-deep-mine earth;" (me, above).

Also, an update on the above "Up Uluru?" poem:
On last night's "By any Means" (BCC) I noticed that tourists can still climb it - the team were only prevented by it being a windy day.
And by the way, 20 years ago, I also travelled mostly overland, and took a similar route to them - see poems 21 to 26, if you wish.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 11:35 PM

Underground canals, sir? I think you must mean the Worsley sewer system.

Worsley is a charming and picturesque spot, no doubt about it, but it can't match Crawley for sheer charm. Crawley, the jewel of Kent! Oh how I long for the halcyon days I spent there courting the fair Rachel Wallow.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: s&r
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 07:03 PM

The remarkable thing about Worsley's canals is the fifty miles underground: that seems to have escaped your writing

Stu

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: GUEST,His Brother's Brother
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 05:18 PM

Choice words at 20 paces, sir!

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 03:48 PM

You, sir, are a mockery of a mockery of a travesty! ;-)

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: GUEST,His Brother's Brother
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 02:33 PM

Absolutely not. How dare you call my life's work in process a parody???

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 02:12 PM

I believe that from Brother to be a parody on this...

Poem 43 of 230: A BAYSWATER BED-SIT

Arrived in London,
    At Heathrow Airport -
With sixty kilos
    Of luggage I'd brought.

Found a paper, Loot,
    And called an agent;
Stored two heavy bags,
    Then to him I went.

For one week of rent,
    He'd ensure a bed
Within Bayswater -
    A bed-sit, he said.

It was eighty pounds
    Per week, nothing more,
With a lift arranged
    To the building's door.

Knackered and sleepless,
    I took the deal;
Checked-in quickly,
    Had a rushed meal.

Collected my bags
    (Tube there, shared-van back),
Then carried them up
    To my top-floor shack.

A penthouse - no need,
    It did me just fine;
A cook-top and fridge,         
    A table to dine.

Seated, I could watch
    The clouds roll by -
Often from the west -
    Or jets cut the sky.

There were large plane-trees,
    A squirrel or two;
And pigeons dropped by -
    Foregrounding the view.

Plus, at dawn, the sun
    Shined in from the east -
Filling the small room
    As on egg I'd feast.

And contemplating,
    It occurs to me -
If all lived that well,
    How great it would be.

But a lot do sleep
    Outdoors many nights -
On sheets of cardboard,
    Without basic rights.

From walkaboutsverse.741.com

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: GUEST,His Brother's Brother
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 01:30 PM

#4 The London Underground

Came in an aeroplane from Heathrow -
    Tried to keep the in-flight meal down;
The pilot's voice awoke us -
    Glad you enjoyed your flight the currency is a sterling pound.

We traveled to London
    Not over half-an-hour did it take:
Observing all things quite new -
    Quite stunning the graffiti youths like to make.

Began the steep escalator descent,
    Which, as is well-known, can be quite crowded;
Youths wondered why doederant to elders was unkown,
      Elders heard buskers, wondered who'd allowed it.

A few moments or so,
    After not finding a space for seating,
We left the underground -
   Just one stop further in our travelling.

(Post Scriptum to whom it may concern: just might be
   That if afford it one can
A taxi-cab is faster, and funner,
   Than crowding in the tube like sardines in a can.)

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 12:45 PM

Enough of that, let's get back to the poetry!

Here's a beauty, written by WAV:

26   UP ULURU?

Came in a coach from Alice -
    Slept nearby overnight;
An early call awoke us -
    Just before the morning light.

We were bussed to Uluru
    As the dawn began to break:         
Stopping to take in the view -
    A proud sight that rock does make.

Began the steep early-climb,
    Which, as marked, has claimed some life;
For youths it was just good time,
    But heavy aged-breaths were rife.

An hour or two later,
    After gazing from the top,
We returned to the charter -
    Kata Tjuta one last stop.

(P.S: in hindsight, I'm sure
    That from a distance to view
Is more kind, and more pleasure,
    Than climbing up Uluru.)




Match that one, Spaw! Betcha can't, betcha can't!

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 12:38 PM

I hope to God that Olive Whatnoll does not hear about this or we'll never hear the end of it.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Master Baiter
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 12:20 PM

I found the following article, a letter to a parliamentary official, about "Sir Alf R." who I assume to be ?????? Perhaps catspaw49 wasn't kidding about the dog molesting as you see. Locations and date make it probable. Surprises me that more wasn't made of it at the time.







Dear Lord Richland:



        I am a board certified criminal prosecutor In Ipswich with over 12 years experience and approximately 150 trials to my credit. I write in support of Rule of Law #744 and in order to advocate for the necessity of this new law, I will start briefly by explaining one such case I have handled recently in this jurisdiction.



        In late 1964, I prosecuted the case of QB v. Sir Alf R., Circuit Case Number 2005-CF-3027. Sir R. had been charged by law enforcement with Felony Animal Cruelty, though the charge if available should have been Bestiality or Sexual Activity Involving an Animal. I will not go into the disgusting facts of the case other than to say Sir Alf R. was having sexual relations with his male dog, an English Cocker Spaniel. The complainant in the case called the police when she observed Sir R. fondling the dog. I will leave off further discussion by simply stating that in subsequent discussions with law enforcement, Sir Alf R. spoke freely about his regular sexual activities with his dog and said he would take the dog for a walk prior to sex to "prevent fecal impact." I have attached a copy of the probable cause (with the complainant's name omitted) so the facts can speak for themselves. As you can see, law enforcement incorrectly advised Sir Alf R. that they were investigating bestiality and that "it was a felony crime."



        We did our best to pursue the case on the charge of Animal Cruelty but this charge was not the best vehicle to properly address the crimes of nature committed by this Defendant. On the charge of Felony Animal Cruelty, the prosecution is required to prove a defendant intentionally committed an act against an animal which resulted in the cruel death or excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering. For Misdemeanor Animal Cruelty, the prosecution must show the person has caused the animal to be overworked, deprived of sustenance or shelter, or unnecessarily mutilates, kills or carries any animal in a cruel or inhumane manner. I can easily envision such a case of Bestiality being charged as Animal Cruelty before the trier of fact, be it a judge or a jury, and the Defense expert veterinarian testifying that although he finds "the Defendant's behavior shocking and disgusting, the animal was unharmed and otherwise well cared for." If such a case ever made it to trial, the resulting acquittal would be an easy lesson for the prosecutor to learn.



        Other than the tenuous charge of Animal Cruelty, the only other means of addressing this crime of nature would be as a questionable misdemeanor offense under Stat. Section 755.01 which adopts the Common Law of England. Like most civilized nations, our legal forbearers understandably saw fit to address bestiality in the criminal courts. If this theory of the law were pursued, prosecutors would be left to attempt to utilize ancient English Law to address this criminal conduct. Such a prosecutor would clearly have an uphill battle. Although case law provides for application of the Common Law of England in some situations, I can envision much mention of our Declaration of Independence and the fact that "we make our own laws here" during pretrial motion arguments. A resulting dismissal of the charges would be understandable under this scenario.



        What we often hear in the legal realm is that "if the Parliament wanted something to be a crime then they would have passed a law against it." Litigants can rarely argue that the failure to pass a law was merely a timing or funding issue or that it would have been passed if we did not have financial troubles. If the Parliament does anything, it should use a small portion of its time to pass one of the most unanimously uncontested laws in recent history. There cannot possibly be any rational opponent of this bill.



        It is unseemly that a person can knowingly sexually violate any animal of their choice and this does not, by itself, seem to be against the law without some type of creative and possibly tenuous prosecution. The most important consideration for the Committee to address, however, is the impact this crime of nature could have on humans.



        The clear status of our law at this point is that Parliament has not prohibited bestiality. Bestiality is currently legal. As shocking as this is for the public to learn when such cases come to light, it would be even more shocking for the public to discover that a proposed bill was actually before this PArliamentary Justice Committee and the Committee failed to take any action to move this forward.   Acting on such an uncontested issue should use minimal time and resources compared to the many other issues that remain contested or debatable before you.



                                                                Respectfully,



                                                                Michael J. Bauer

       Ipswich Solicitor

       December, 1966

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 11 Oct 08 - 04:55 PM

Just in case, "Worsley Village", above, is in Lancashire, where I've never seen any buffalo but plenty of the canals which Stu (and I if you look again) mentioned.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: catspaw49
Date: 11 Oct 08 - 03:35 PM

Suits me. Perhaps McGonagall's Mom dallied with water buffalo as well.

Spaw

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Oct 08 - 02:03 PM

Now, Pat, you should know perfectly well that William McGonagall won everlasting poetic fame by doing fairly comparable work, work at which he toiled without surcease all the days of his life, and never did he yield one whit to the criticisms, discouragements, and mean-spirited snipings hurled at him by many insensitive publicans who were too crude to appreciate the lofty spirit that burned in the noble words he had writ.

Do you wish to be remembered as someone who failed to acknowledge the value of such art when it was thrust in his face?

I hope not!

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: GUEST,His Brother's Brother
Date: 11 Oct 08 - 11:47 AM

From MY life's work.

#3 Travels Not With My Pen but With My Keyboard

As on the banks of Babylon the refuges-helped-to-their-nearest-country-of-safe-refuge sat down,
So too, did I, e.g., sit down with my keyboard,
To travel the world round,
Or rather, to recal things which I saw and overheard,
Which might in in the hopeful-near-future to be found
Would prove the best way forward for humanity, I give my word.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: s&r
Date: 11 Oct 08 - 08:43 AM

Fancy not mentioning 50 miles of underground canals.

Stu

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: catspaw49
Date: 11 Oct 08 - 06:21 AM

ohmygawd................How in the hell can you write such fuckin' gawdawful crap? You can't possibly be serious which is why I feel no need to discuss any of this on a mature level. As a poet you make a good buttfuck; the living proof your mother screwed a water buffalo.

Spaw

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 11 Oct 08 - 05:25 AM

THE WEEKLY WALKABOUT, E.G.

Poem 61 of 230: WORSLEY VILLAGE

Where earliest of coal-canals meet,
    And have their waters ochred
By the seepage of old-deep-mine earth;
    Where mock-Tudor is a treat,
And classic boats are newly coated
    At dry-docks before rebirth;

Where miners made tough risky efforts,
    Working seams for hours non-stop -
Cramped, often without the room to stand;
    Where security experts
Now fill the Nailmakers Workshop -
    On a canal-made island;

Where offices come from granaries,
    And granaries from a forge -
Wheel-powered through a brook's tillage;
    Where coal moved down arteries,
And sandstone was quarried to a gorge:
    Lies antique Worsley Village.

From walkaboutsverse.741.com

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 09:31 PM

Wonderful! That's the spirit.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Don Firth
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 09:17 PM

Too true, Little Hawk, too true.

I've been thinking I should change strings on my guitar. They've been on it for quite awhile and they're starting to sound a bit dead.   Then there are a couple of Scottish ballads I'm learning. I've been thinking about them quite a bit, as I usually do when I'm learning a song. What should I have for dinner tonight? Isn't nationalism merely tribalism on a larger scale? The writers' group I belong to meets this Sunday afternoon; what, of the several things that I've written this past month, should I read? Did I re-up the prepaid minutes on my cell phone? (I should check that.) Do fish have belly-buttons? Are there really parallel universes? What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything? Should I trim my toenails?

Lots of things to think about. . . .

Don Firth

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 07:20 PM

There are a great many things one might want to think about, Don.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: s&r
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 05:39 PM

I came home, tonight, knackered, from teaching,
I could see, from my east window
the absence of sunrise
it now being e.g., nine o'clock

My food, left, to marinade from
last nights, leftovers
enlivened with, forbidden, curry spices
which i should have enjoyed in e.g., India
or Bangladesh

I added no rice,
imported food, belonging,
to e.g., Asian countries,
but did add potato discovered by Raleigh
on his capitalist sailabout

Stu

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Don Firth
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 02:24 PM

My life's work is not over yet. It won't be over until they nail the box shut.

And even then, it won't really be over. I have former guitar students who are out there performing--and teaching. That's a form of immortality.

In fact, the influence we have on other people during our lifetimes lives on in others in one form or another. One might want to think about that....

Don Firth

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 01:53 PM

I used to burn with a desire to share my life's work with the world. ;-) Now I don't worry about that much at all anymore. I just live each day, that's all.

Subject: RE: The Weekly Walkabout (part 2.)
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 01:42 PM

Amazing stuff there Volgadon. I think you should hunt up an on-line poetry forum and explain to them what they have been doing wrong all these years. I'm sure they won't mind.