Readings of great or naff poems

"The Charge of the Light Brigade" is an 1854 narrative poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson about the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. He was the poet laureate of the United Kingdom at the time of the writing of the poem and the work reflects his compromised ability to express anti-war, populist sentiments while still reflecting his patriotism and remaining in the Crown's favour.

Acquainted with the Night is a poem by Robert Frost. It first appeared in the Virginia Quarterly Review and was published in 1928 in his collection West-Running Brook.

"Ginger Mick was a likeable rogue who, before he answered the call to arms to defend democracy, sold fresh rabbits in the streets of Melbourne. This book by CJ Dennis tells of his tender love for Rose and his experiences at war in North Africa. The verse is full of humour and pathos and truly captures the spirit of the era. Contents: INTRODUCTION I. DUCK AN' FOWL II. WAR III. THE CALL OF STOUSH IV. THE PUSH V. SARI BAIR VI. GINGER'S COBBER VII. THE SINGING SOLDIERS VIII. IN SPADGER'S LANE IX. THE STRAIGHT GRIFFIN X. A LETTER TO THE FRONT XI. RABBITS XII. TO THE BOYS WHO TOOK THE COUNT XIII. THE GAME XIV. "A GALLANT GENTLEMAN"

My first ever video. Fortunato Dorio is a brilliant musician from France who had heard my reading of the poem and did his thing to it. I searched for images relevant to the times, and tossed in family ones too === The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke is a verse novel by Australian novelist and poet C. J. Dennis. The book sold over 60,000 copies in nine editions within the first year, and is probably one of the highest selling verse novels ever published in Australia. Contents A Spring Song The Intro The Stoush O' Day Doreen The Play The Stror 'at Coot The Siren Mar Pilot Cove Hitched Beef Tea Uncle Jim The Kid The Mooch o' Life Via FB https://www.facebook.com/661396748/videos/40236606748/

James Stephens (February 9, 1882--December 26, 1950) was an Irish novelist and poet.

"People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centred. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of being selfish or ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway. We spend years building what another can destroy overnight. Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people may forget tomorrow. Do good anyway. People really need help but may attack you if you try to help Help people anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give the world your best, anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them, anyway. " === http://conservativeweasel.blogspot.com.au/2017/09/do-it-anyway-kent-keith-poem.html videos by David Daniel Ball for the Conservative Voice Author of History in a Year by the Conservative Voice http://www.amazon.com/David-Ball/e/B01683ZOWG https://www.facebook.com/DaODDBallWriter/?ref=bookmarks I was raised as an Atheist. I learned, after reading the Bible, that God loves me, and you. This is his song for you too. He loves you, and wants to be with you. All the elements are me and mine. ARIA ISRC number AUAWN1709523

The Push "Ginger Mick was a likeable rogue who, before he answered the call to arms to defend democracy, sold fresh rabbits in the streets of Melbourne. This book by CJ Dennis tells of his tender love for Rose and his experiences at war in North Africa. The verse is full of humour and pathos and truly captures the spirit of the era. Contents: INTRODUCTION I. DUCK AN' FOWL II. WAR III. THE CALL OF STOUSH IV. THE PUSH V. SARI BAIR VI. GINGER'S COBBER VII. THE SINGING SOLDIERS VIII. IN SPADGER'S LANE IX. THE STRAIGHT GRIFFIN X. A LETTER TO THE FRONT XI. RABBITS XII. TO THE BOYS WHO TOOK THE COUNT XIII. THE GAME XIV. "A GALLANT GENTLEMAN"

Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer whose works include the poems "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "And death shall have no dominion"; the 'play for voices' Under Milk Wood; and stories and radio broadcasts such as A Child's Christmas in Wales and Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog. He became widely popular in his lifetime and remained so after his premature death at the age of 39 in New York City. By then he had acquired a reputation, which he had encouraged, as a "roistering, drunken and doomed poet" === I was raised as an Atheist. I learned, after reading the Bible, that God loves me, and you. This is his song for you too. He loves you, and wants to be with you. All the elements are me and mine. ARIA ISRC number AUAWN1706413

Bible reading for the wedding of some friends. With significant pauses. The marriage went well, with one hitch. === Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (New International Version) Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ecclesiastes%204:9-12&version=NIV

"The Man from Snowy River" is a poem by Australian bush poet Banjo Paterson. It was first published in The Bulletin, an Australian news magazine, on 26th April 1890. http://conservativeweasel.blogspot.com/2011/12/man-from-snowy-river.html

Poem and anecdote illustrating the difficulties of English cf http://www.icompositions.com/music/song.php?sid=39402 Reasons why the English language is so hard to learn: 1) The bandage was wound around the wound. 2) The farm was used to produce produce. 3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse. 4) We must polish the Polish furniture. 5) He could lead if he would get the lead out. 6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert. 7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present. 8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum. 9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes. 10) I did not object to the object. 11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid. 12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row. 13) They were too close to the door to close it. 14) The buck does funny things when the does are present. 15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line. 16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow. 17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail 18) After a number of injections my jaw got number. 19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear. 20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests. 21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend? Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham. If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese; so one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? One mouse, 2 mice, one louse, 2 lice; so one house, 2 hice? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend. If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on. English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible. PS. - Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is one of the most popular English nursery rhymes. The lyrics are from an early nineteenth-century English poem, "The Star" by Jane Taylor. The poem, which is in couplet form, was first published in 1806 in Rhymes for the Nursery, a collection of poems by Taylor and her sister Ann. It is often sung to the tune of the French melody "Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman" (oldest known publication 1761). The English lyrics have five stanzas, although only the first is widely known. Mozart wrote twelve variations on Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 7666. AUAWN0427110

A poem by Alan Brownjohn, a distant cousin by marriage between my uncle Jack Ball and his first wife, Peggy Brownjohn, dearly loved. We are Going to see the Rabbit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Brownjohn http://learnenglishonline.yuku.com/topic/11111/To-See-the-Rabbit-by-Alan-Brownjohn#.T6c2qFo2ze7

Penny Dreadful is a magnificent TV series. This Ode was in part in the final episode. === https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45536/ode-intimations-of-immortality-from-recollections-of-early-childhood videos by David Daniel Ball for the Conservative Voice Author of History in a Year by the Conservative Voice http://www.amazon.com/David-Ball/e/B01683ZOWG https://www.facebook.com/DaODDBallWriter/?ref=bookmarks I was raised as an Atheist. I learned, after reading the Bible, that God loves me, and you. This is his song for you too. He loves you, and wants to be with you. All the elements are me and mine. ARIA ISRC number AUAWN1710617

The Singing Soldiers "Ginger Mick was a likeable rogue who, before he answered the call to arms to defend democracy, sold fresh rabbits in the streets of Melbourne. This book by CJ Dennis tells of his tender love for Rose and his experiences at war in North Africa. The verse is full of humour and pathos and truly captures the spirit of the era. Contents: INTRODUCTION I. DUCK AN' FOWL II. WAR III. THE CALL OF STOUSH IV. THE PUSH V. SARI BAIR VI. GINGER'S COBBER VII. THE SINGING SOLDIERS VIII. IN SPADGER'S LANE IX. THE STRAIGHT GRIFFIN X. A LETTER TO THE FRONT XI. RABBITS XII. TO THE BOYS WHO TOOK THE COUNT XIII. THE GAME XIV. "A GALLANT GENTLEMAN"

Christina Georgina Rossetti (5 December 1830 -- 29 December 1894) was an English poet who wrote a variety of romantic, devotional, and children's poems. She is best known for her long poem Goblin Market, her love poem Remember, and for the words of the Christmas carol In the Bleak Midwinter.

The Sick Rose William Blake (28 November 1757--12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. His prophetic poetry has been said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language". His visual artistry has led one contemporary art critic to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced". Although he lived in London his entire life except for three years spent in Felpham he produced a diverse and symbolically rich corpus, which embraced the imagination as "the body of God", or "Human existence itself"

The Gallant Gentleman "Ginger Mick was a likeable rogue who, before he answered the call to arms to defend democracy, sold fresh rabbits in the streets of Melbourne. This book by CJ Dennis tells of his tender love for Rose and his experiences at war in North Africa. The verse is full of humour and pathos and truly captures the spirit of the era. Contents: INTRODUCTION I. DUCK AN' FOWL II. WAR III. THE CALL OF STOUSH IV. THE PUSH V. SARI BAIR VI. GINGER'S COBBER VII. THE SINGING SOLDIERS VIII. IN SPADGER'S LANE IX. THE STRAIGHT GRIFFIN X. A LETTER TO THE FRONT XI. RABBITS XII. TO THE BOYS WHO TOOK THE COUNT XIII. THE GAME XIV. "A GALLANT GENTLEMAN"

A reminder of why we fight for what is right Sullivan Ballou (March 28, 1829 -- July 28, 1861) was a lawyer, politician, and major in the United States Army. He is best remembered for the eloquent letter he wrote to his wife a week before he fought and was mortally wounded alongside his Rhode IslandVolunteers in the First Battle of Bull Run. http://conservativeweasel.blogspot.com/2011/07/major-ballous-love-letter.html

There are seven parts to this poem. Samuel Taylor Coleridge made this story about a journey by sea to be spiritual, rather than real. A story within a story, an old mariner detains a groom on his wedding day and regales him with a story of the Mariner's disturbing journey, where the Mariner killed an Albatross and so cursed (or damned) the crew to death in strange waters. The Mariner gets back home, but must tell his story to others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rime_of_the_Ancient_Mariner AUAWN1231320 === There passed a weary time. Each throat Was parched, and glazed each eye. A weary time! a weary time! How glazed each weary eye, When looking westward, I beheld A something in the sky. At first it seemed a little speck, And then it seemed a mist; It moved and moved, and took at last A certain shape, I wist. A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist! And still it neared and neared: As if it dodged a water-sprite, It plunged and tacked and veered. With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, We could nor laugh nor wail; Through utter drought all dumb we stood! I bit my arm, I sucked the blood, And cried, A sail! a sail! With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, Agape they heard me call: Gramercy! they for joy did grin, And all at once their breath drew in. As they were drinking all. See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more! Hither to work us weal; Without a breeze, without a tide, She steadies with upright keel! The western wave was all a-flame. The day was well nigh done! Almost upon the western wave Rested the broad bright Sun; When that strange shape drove suddenly Betwixt us and the Sun. And straight the Sun was flecked with bars, (Heaven's Mother send us grace!) As if through a dungeon-grate he peered With broad and burning face. Alas! (thought I, and my heart beat loud) How fast she nears and nears! Are those her sails that glance in the Sun, Like restless gossameres? Are those her ribs through which the Sun Did peer, as through a grate? And is that Woman all her crew? Is that a DEATH? and are there two? Is DEATH that woman's mate? Her lips were red, her looks were free, Her locks were yellow as gold: Her skin was as white as leprosy, The Night-mare LIFE-IN-DEATH was she, Who thicks man's blood with cold. The naked hulk alongside came, And the twain were casting dice; 'The game is done! I've won! I've won!' Quoth she, and whistles thrice. The Sun's rim dips; the stars rush out; At one stride comes the dark; With far-heard whisper, o'er the sea, Off shot the spectre-bark. We listened and looked sideways up! Fear at my heart, as at a cup, My life-blood seemed to sip! The stars were dim, and thick the night, The steersman's face by his lamp gleamed white; From the sails the dew did drip— Till clomb above the eastern bar The hornèd Moon, with one bright star Within the nether tip. One after one, by the star-dogged Moon, Too quick for groan or sigh, Each turned his face with a ghastly pang, And cursed me with his eye. Four times fifty living men, (And I heard nor sigh nor groan) With heavy thump, a lifeless lump, They dropped down one by one. The souls did from their bodies fly,— They fled to bliss or woe! And every soul, it passed me by, Like the whizz of my cross-bow!

A Bruce Dawe Poem. One of my first putting images to with my reading. Ghost liked it and added his sound track Blood Pressure AUAWN0823110 Bruce Dawe wrote this circa 1956. Materialism was big during the Melbourne Olympics of '56 which saw the intro of TV to Australia. === enter without so much as knocking Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris. (Epigraph: Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.) Blink, blink. HOSPITAL. SILENCE. Ten days old, carried in the front door in his mother's arms, first thing he heard was Bobby Dazzler on Channel 7: Hello, hello hello all you lucky people and he really was lucky because it didn't mean a thing to him then... A year or two to settle in and get acquainted with the set-up; like every other well-equipped smoothly-run household, his included one economy-size Mum, one Anthony Squires- Coolstream-Summerweight Dad, along with two other kids straight off the Junior Department rack. When Mom won the Luck's-A-Fortch Tricky-Tune Quiz she took him shopping in the good-as-new station-wagon (£ 495 dep. at Reno's). Beep, beep. WALK. DON'T WALK. TURN LEFT. NO PARKING. WAIT HERE. NO SMOKING. KEEP CLEAR/OUT/OFF GRASS. NO BREATHING EXCEPT BY ORDER. BEWARE OF THIS. WATCH OUT FOR THAT. My God (beep) the congestion here just gets (beep) worse every day, now what the (beep beep) does that idiot think he's doing (beep beep and BEEP). However, what he enjoyed most of all was when they went to the late show at the local drive-in, on a clear night and he could see (beyond the fifty-foot screen where giant faces forever snarled screamed or make incomprehensible and monstrous love) a pure unadulterated fringe of sky, littered with stars no-one had got around to fixing up yet: he'd watch them circling about in luminous groups like kids at the circus who never go quite close enough to the elephant to get kicked. Anyway, pretty soon he was old enough to be realistic like every other godless money-hungry back-stabbing miserable so-and-so, and then it was goodbye stars and the soft cry in the corner when no-one was looking because I'm telling you straight, Jim, it's Number One every time for this chicken, hit wherever you see a head and kick whoever's down, well thanks for a lovely evening Clare, it's good to get away from it all once in a while, I mean it's a real battle all the way and a man can't help but feel a little soiled, himself, at times, you know what I mean? Now take it easy on those curves, Alice, for God's sake, I've had enough for one night, with that Clare Jessup, hey, ease up, will you, watch it -- Probity & Sons, Morticians, did a really first-class job on his face (everyone was very pleased) even adding a healthy tan he'd never had, living, gave him back for keeps the old automatic smile with nothing behind it, winding the whole show up with a nice ride out to the underground metropolis permanent residentials, no parking tickets, no taximeters ticking, no Bobby Dazzlers here, no down payments, nobody grieving over halitosis flat feet, shrinking gums, falling hair. Six feet down nobody interested. Blink, blink. CEMETERY. Silence.

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812.

Read badly by DD Ball Found on Space.com By Dr Laurance Doyle (with apologies to Langdon Smith's Evolution Poem) audio available at http://www.icompositions.com/music/song.php?sid=78334 When the Earth was young, and the Moon nearby, in a cometary sea, prokaryotic thoughts arose, what fun it is to be! "Lets rust the world!" we all agreed, "until the iron's done. We'll use the oxygen we make! Come on, it will be fun!" As huge salt mountains melted down to spice the saltless seas, the dosado tectonic dance of plate activities, Trilobites now filled the sea, and oxygen the air, "What say we all crawl up on land? And have a picnic there!" "We'll bring amphibians and trees, and Oh, it will be fun! And bring some extra ozone to protect us from the Sun." So off we went, and partied on, from cynodont to 'saur. Time flies when one is having fun. Then from a distant shore, We saw a comet hit the ground, the best I've ever seen. It turned the Moon a pretty blue, the Sun a shade of green. "Now that's a party!" we all sang, and went to mammals be. The 'saurs became a little flock of ornithology. The trees were great, but it was late, so onto two we strode. And chipped some stone and built some fires to warm the cave abode. "Already the Holocene? My how the time does fly! Seems like t'was but yesterday, when the Moon was nearby." Now here we are, upon the Moon. Next—to another sun! A galaxy to party in. I said it would be fun!

Edward James Hughes OM (17 August 1930 -- 28 October 1998) was an English poet and children's writer, known as Ted Hughes. Critics routinely rank him as one of the best poets of his generation. Hughes was British Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death.

Poem read in the first season of Touched by an Angel by Maya Angelou Maya Angelou (pronounced /ˈmaɪ.ə ˈændʒəloʊ/; born Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4, 1928) is an American autobiographer and poet who has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer" by scholar Joanne M. Braxton. She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly acclaimed, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her first seventeen years. It brought her international recognition, and was nominated for a National Book Award. She has been awarded over 30 honorary degrees and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her 1971 volume of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Diiie.