Sunday, December 12, 2010

The Constant Winner



THE CONSTANT WINNER

Would you like to 'win' when England plays Australia
For 'The Ashes' which are cricket's greatest prize.
Then get dual nationality, such as I have,
And nobody will cut you down  to size!
When Australia's on the top I am Australian,
But I'm English if the English rule the roost.
So, whichever side is winning, that is my side,
And my ego gets an extra little boost!
Well, this year I'm gaily singing 'Rule Britannia!',
So you'll surely guess which side is doing well!
The English seem unstoppable, as far as I can see.
For Australia I hear a funeral knell!
And just what are The Ashes? Well, many years ago
Australia beat England at the game.
And The English burnt the wicket on a sort of funeral pyre;
The wicket became 'ashes', hence the name.
As for our dual status, it's something that's allowed;
For, after all, our differences are few,
And we find it really useful on occasions such as this
To belong, not to one country, but to two.
*

--------------------------------------------------------


HABER DASHING?

Would you like to dash some haber? I'm pretty sure you would!
I'd be a haberdasher if I could!
*
Enough of all that nonsense! 'Haprtask' is the right word.
All right! It's rather hard to say, that's why it's rarely heard.
That tricky word's Iclandic, meaning 'small goods' so they say,
The things a pedlar carried round, displaying them on a tray.
Buttons, ribbons, bits and pieces, domestic this and that,
Cottons for my lady's mending, feathers for her hat.
The haberdasher's shop arrived, when pedlars were no more,
And a haberdasher's shop could be a quite substantial store.
*
In his 'Canterbury Tale', Chaucer first used the name, 
Maybe his was the first one with a claim to fame
The Elephant Man began his life in a haberdasher's shop,
And then he was exhibited at fairs and the Big Top.
Famous people started out as haberdashers, too!
Captain Cook and Johnny Carson, Harry Truman! True!
So the haberdasher's counter has many a tale to tell.
I end with a little personal note;
My Dad was one as well!
*

9 comments:

kaykuala said...

Brenda,
You can spice having dual nationlity with such a lot of humour.That can only happen from someone with lots of talent. Just Brilliant!

Sherri B. said...

So clever! I enjoyed both poems tremendously. :~)

Ramesh Sood said...

Well, I feel good for you to be lucky to be winning the toss which ever way the coin may fall.isn't it.. and spirits soar whoever lifts the Ashes.. I enjoyed your poem..

Teresa said...

These are both such fun poems! I must say I loved the history of the haberdasher!

Kathe W. said...

Nicely done! I enjoyed both.

Tumblewords: said...

Delightful post!

Shail Raghuvanshi said...

Fun reading both the compositions. Keep it going...

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

smart take..

when you are on both shoes, wining and losing both are fun and uncool at the same time...

lesson learned.

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

Here is the end of the year awards 4 you, enjoy!

End of The Year Awards 4 Friends of Jingle or Jingle Poetry Community


Your support has been a delight to us, at this time of the year, We wish you all the best !
Hope to see you at our Sunday Poetry Potluck tonight, let me know if you have questions. old poems or poems unrelated to our theme are welcome..
Week 15 theme: reflections, interpretations, and musings.