A Nation's Gratitude

A Nation’s Gratitude

For us they suffer hardship day and night, So we may live in peace and understand The joys of liberty for which they fight,

That offer freedom to a warring land.

Nerve deployed in carrying out their duty,

Transcends all dread of injury or pain,

Courage is a notion of great beauty,

For those who fear not loss nor count not gain.

Loyalty awakens our emotion, As does their faith in that which they believe.

All the pride, respect and true devotion That we can offer they should now receive.

The nation’s gratitude is well deserved,

By those brave souls, who have so proudly served.

Maggie Smart

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It was about then, that someone remarked that given the number of hits on the poems that had been posted on the forum, there were obviously other folk out there, who appreciated poetry and who might be willing to put pen to paper and ‘pop out a poem,’ or ‘dish out some doggerel.’

It was thereupon boldly suggested that an Anthology should be put together, proceeds from the sale of which, would go to a charity supporting injured service-personnel.

Now there was a challenge! Faceless individuals, united by a common bond but separated by hundreds of miles, all working in tandem to bring to fruition a worthy and exciting project.

On 1st October 2009, the Anthology was born.

English Homework

(Very detailed artwork provided by Logan Smart)

As you may be aware, from previous postings, I had been inveigled into writing all my son's absence notes in verse. Admittedly, this was partly my fault, for having kicked the whole thing off, by writing the first note in rhyming couplets. Thereafter, it was made clear that this was expected of me.

I had recently engaged in an intensive effort to improve my son's well being, by feeding him the best organic foods and carefully selected dietary supplements. I had done this in the expectation that he would achieve perfect health, thus avoiding any more absenteeism and releasing me from my literary shackles.

My plan seemed to be working - but then disaster struck. I was invited to join in a task that had been set for the entire class, by way of punishment for bad behaviour.

Think of as many phrases as you can, that contain the letters QED

I couldn't think of any at all.

However, after much rampaging, I finally and ungraciously put the following together:

Q.E.D

Quads eat doughnuts, Quins eat dates, Quaestors eagerly dramatize, Quaint enough debates.

Queens essentially daydream, Quails eventually doss, Quark-elements demonstrate, Querulous echoing dross. Quiddity equals diversity, Q.E.D? Quod erat demonstrandum, Quite enough (D.V.)

Maggie Smart

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Tanny the Dog

It was 1952. I was three years of age and lived in Highgate, with my mother, father, brother, Malcolm and our very naughty dog, Tanny.

This photo, taken by my father, shows Malcolm and me, in the back garden of our house, together with the miscreant, Tanny. You will note that Malcolm is restraining him firmly; had he released his grip, Tanny would have taken off at the speed of light, scaled the garden fence and made for the railway.

TANNY THE DOG

When he was let off the lead, Tanny could be a real baddie,

Refusing point blank to come when called, by anyone other than Daddy,

He would keep his distance and give that well-known, defiant, Tanny stare.

The canine equivalent of two fingers in the air.

Tanny had the power to leap a six foot, garden fence in a single breath,

And leg it off to the railway where he would dice with death.

Unremittingly naughty, Tanny was time and time again picked up beside the live rail,

And brought by the police to our door, where he would sit and wail.

Once inside, at the first opportunity, he would escape into the garden and scale the fence,

Then, straight back to the railway, with which he was obsessed – which made no sense.

He was a motley mutt, half spaniel and half - God knows what! Some called him a freak.

He wasn’t. He was unique.

Maggie Smart