Stories from the Stringam Family Ranches of Southern Alberta

From the 50s and 60s to today . . .



Monday, December 28, 2020

Resolved

 

Bob’s party was a hit. And Jack had gladly overdone,
Sampling every drink and having an excess of fun,
But when the party ended, knowing he'd had too much stout,
Jack handed Bob his car keys and on foot, he started out.
He’d stumbled for a block or two, when a cop came from the dark,
And stopped him as Jack contemplated crossing Central Park.
“'Tis half-past four, and time you were at home and safely bedded.
Where have you been, my lad?” he asked. “And tell me where you’re headed.”
Well, Jack just looked at him and tried to straighten up his sight,
But everything stayed blurry, though he tried with all his might.
So finally, he shrugged and gave the cop a painful smile,
“I’m headed to a lecture, sir. And it will take a while.”
“A lecture at this time of night? Well, surely you are kidding!
Not that fun at all, in fact, it does sound quite forbidding!”
Well, Jack, he shrugged and then he frowned a tiny, little frown,
“It’s true, sir,” he defended. “And I'm going there right now!
I'm trying hard to save you from an incorrect conjecture,
I’m really on my way to sit and listen to a lecture!
And I'm thinking from this moment, I'll resolve to never revel,
'Cause that lecture's being given by none other than the devil!"
The cop frowned, “'Devil Lectures' in the wee hours of night?”
“Sir, I can get them any time, the devil is my wife!"

Cause Mondays do get knocked a lot,
With poetry, we all besought
To try to make the week begin
With gentle thoughts,
Perhaps a grin?
Have crafted poems for you to see.
And now you’ve read what we have wrought…
Did we help?
Or did we not?

Next week, our talents we'll apply
SPAGHETTI is the theme we'll try!

21 comments:

  1. Hahaha! That's such a fun poem; well done. I was struggling with this theme but then came up with inspiration from a book I'm currently reading (Dancing in the Light of the Moon/Giles Brandreth) which investigates how learning poetry by heart affects our memory and dementia. So with that in mind ....


    When I consider how much time I’ve spent
    In these dark days before New Year,
    Contemplating lists of new resolves
    With scepticism and little cheer,
    I wonder how I best can change
    My outlook on this stressful task
    For well I know that in the bitter months ahead
    How futile these hollow promises will prove -
    If intact they still remain by February’s end
    It’s sure to be a modern miracle.

    So instead of curbing appetite and sloth
    Through ghastly exercise and diet
    Etcetera, etcetera,
    I determine on one happier task to dwell
    And will use my time to learn by heart
    Some favourite poems
    In order to recite them well.
    ...

    I'm starting with 'The Owl and the Pussycat'. I half- know it already but not yet well enough to recite it with confidence. I wonder how many I will have managed to learn by the year's end.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, wow, SBM! Memorizing poetry. This is truly a resolution I could get behind! And what a wonderful poem! (Ghastly exercise and diet--bwahahahaha!) I want to memorize The Highwayman!

      Delete
    2. That is a resolve I could do as well. Good one SpikesBestMate! Hope we'll remember to ask you by the end of 2021.

      Delete
    3. Adding my voice to the chorus of approval. Some of the poems I learned as a child are still with me - but incomplete. Time to fill in the gaps.

      Delete
    4. A brilliant idea, and very well expressed in poetry!

      Delete
  2. Ha, I avoided one or two of those kinds of lectures from my mom by sneaking in the house, back in the day. Shhhh, don't tell.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A-ha! The old 'sneaking into the house' technique. Brilliant!

      Delete
  3. He sounds too drunk for sneaking, but good idea. Midnight lectures are not funny.
    Well written.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ... and spagetti. Hehe I look forward to reading poems on that subject.

      Delete
    2. I always wondered about the 'sneaky' part when one is drunk. Is it even possible? I think tests probably have been undertaken... ;)

      Delete
  4. The Highwayman - 124 lines, 1007 words! Wow - if you start learning it tomorrow and learn 2 lines a day we should see you on the other side around 1st May! I need to build up my memory muscle before tackling anything so lengthy. I may try Tarantella by Hilaire Belloc next; it starts with a really strong rhythm and rhyme, which as helpful, but is also a bit of a tongue-twister, so it is also a challenge. I'd love to hear about more favourites - any other offers out there?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The very first 'lengthy' poem I memorized was Jim by Hillaire Belloc! I love his stuff. Maybe I'll memorize another by him!
      Rebecca, Who Slammed Doors For Fun And Perished Miserably is always...fun... ;)

      Delete
  5. Love this. I got lectures from my mother, but usually the next day. Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Make this better AND if that is too hard definitely make them no worse.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hee hee...no devil like a wife whose husband stumbles in at 4am!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wonderful tale in a way i've not heard before. Yes, he'll get the lecture, all right, for all the good it will do.

    ReplyDelete

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