Poem 129 of 230:  TO A DRIVER - AUTUMN 2000

As Lancashire fields

    Became flood plains,

And still-worse storm yields

    Caused Southern pains,

I walked up Bolton roads

    (A new contract,

I’d again changed abodes),

    Feeling quite whacked.

For, while mini-cabs

    Passed-by quickly,

I received the sharp jabs

    Of cold, gusty,

Snow-filled air...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 2 of 230:  WALKABOUT WITH MY PEN 

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF C MAJOR: 

C2 F3 G2 G3 A2 A3 G2 G3
C2 G3 A2 A3 G2 G3 F2 F3
C2 A3 A2 A3 G2 G3 F2 F3
C2 G3 A2 G3 A2 G3 F2 F3

C2 F3 G2 G3 A2 A3 G2 G3
C2 F3 G2 G3 A2 G1 F1 F3)

Once drove an old sedan up north,
    From a place in Sydney to Cairns;
Then to Kuranda I went forth,
    By train, to look without set plans.

(Whistle and, somet...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 5 of 230:  STATE TO STATE

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF C MAJOR:

C2 F2 G2 F3
C2 F2 G2 F3
C2 F2 G2 F3
C2 F2 G2 F3
F2 G2 F2 C3
F2 G2 F2 C3
F2 G2 F2 C3
C2 F2 F2 F3) 

From Sydney Town,
    In uni. break,
I drove south-west
    To earnings make
Onion picking,
    On the fields
Of Echuca,
    That year’s yields.

                                          After day’s work,
        ...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem/song 10 of 230:  LAND’S END TO JOHN O’ GROATS

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF C MAJOR:

D2 G3 A2 A3 B2 B3 A2 A3
D2 A3 B2 B3 A2 A3 G2 G3
D2 B3 B2 B3 A2 A3 G2 G3
D2 A3 B2 A3 B2 A3 G2 G3)

At the bold age of twenty-one,
    Via Hong Kong, China, Macau,
I flew from Sydney to London -
    Land’s End to John o’ Groats my vow.

I took a train out of London,
    Found a highway and thumbed a ri...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 33 of 230:  TO CARE AND SHARE 

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF D MAJOR: 

D1 E1 F#3 F#2 G3 A1 A3 G2
G2 A1 B3 c#2 c#3 B1 B3 A2
D2 B2 B2 B1 c#3 c#2 B1 B3
D2 A3 A1 A1 A2-B3 A2 G2 G3
A3 B2 B1 B1 c#2 c#3 B1 B3
A3 B1 B2 B3 c#2 B2 A2 A3
D1 D1 B3 B2 B1-c#3 c#2 B1 B3
D2 A2 A2 A2 B2 A2 G2 G3
D2 B3 B1 B2 c#2 c#2 B2 B3
D2 A2 A2 A2 B2 A2 G2 G3

D1 D1 B3 B1 c#2 c#3 B1 B3
D2 A2 A2 A2 B2 A2 G2 G3
D1 ...

Read and leave comments (1)

Poem 42 of 230:  IMPRESSIONS OF LONDON IN 1997

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF G MAJOR:

E2 F#3 G1 G1 A3 G2 F#2 F#3
E2 F#1 F#1 F#1-G3 F#2 E2 E3
E2 G1 G1 G3 A2 A2 G1 G3
E2 F#1 F#1 F#1-G3 F#2 E2 E3)

Cabs all uniform in their shape.
    Good galleries make one gape.
Hard-going people on the move -
    Things matter much in this groove.

About the weather lots of moans.
    Solicits stuck on pa...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 101 of 230:  JUST SUBSIST 

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF G MAJOR:

D2 F#3 G2 F#3 G2 A3 G2 G3
D2 A3 A2 G3 F#2 G3 G2 G3
D2 B3 B2 A3 G2 A3 G2 G3
D2 A3 A2 G3 F#2 G3 G2 G3
D2 A3 A2 G3 F#2 G3 G2 G3 -
i.e., each last-line repeated)

At times when I’ve had time to take,
    I’ve thought of a plot by a lake;
The place would be of fertile ground,
    With native flora all around.

The plot’s d...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 107 of 230:  ON HONEYMOON! 

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF D MAJOR: 

F#2 E2 A1 A1 A1 A2 G2
G2 A3 B1 B3 A1 A3
F#2 G2 A3 B1 B1 B2
B2 c#3 B1-A3 A1 A3

A2 c#2 c#2 c#2 c#2 B3 A1 B3 A2
A2 B2 B2 B2 A3 B1 A3
A1 A1 c#2 c#2 c#2 c#2 B3 A1 B3 A2
A2 B2 B2 B2 A3 B1 A3)

‘Twas a Saturday morning,
And our weekend was free,
When this great idea
Just came through to me:

“If he’ll be my macho tomor...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 108 of 230:  YOUR SALT UPON MY LIPS

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF D MAJOR: 

F#2 G3 A1 A3 B1 B2 c#2 c#3 A2
A2 c#3 c#1 c#3 B2 A2 B3 A2
A2 c#3 c#1 c#3 B2 A2 B2 c#3 A2
A2 c#3 c#1 c#3 B2 A2 A2 B2 c#3 A2

A1 B1 B3 c#2 c#3 B1 A1 B3 A2
B1 B3 c#2 c#3 B1 A1 B3 A2
B3 c#2 c#2 c#2 c#2 B2 A2 B2 c#3 A2
A1 c#1 c#1 c#3 B1 A1 B3 A2
B1 B3 c#2 c#2 c#3 B1 A1 B3 A2)

I saw the tears escape your eyelids,
...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 109 of 230:  WE GO TOGETHER 

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF C MAJOR:

C2 E2 G2 E3 C2 E2 G2 E3
E2 G2 E2 E2 E3
C2 E2 G2 E3 C2 E2 G2 E3
E2 G2 E2 E2 E3
C2 E2 G2 E3 C2 E2 G2 E3
E2 G2 E2 E2 E3

G2 A2 B2 B2 A2 G2 A2 G2
B2 A2 G2 A2 G2
C2 A2 B2 B3 C2 A2 B2 B3
C2 A2 B2 B3 C2 A2 B2 B3
B2 A2 G2 A2 G2
B3 B2 A2 G2 A2 G3)

Does a mortar need a pestle?
    A curry a grind?
Does a monsieur need a ...

Read and leave comments (3)

Poem 111 of 230:  THE MERSEY AT DIDSBURY - SPRING 2000

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF E-FLAT MAJOR:

Eb2 F2 G2 Ab2 G3
D2 F2 G2 Ab2 G3
D2 F2 G2 Ab2 G3
D2 G2 Ab2 Bb2 Ab3
D2 G2 Ab2 Bb2 Ab3
D2 F2 G2 Ab2 G3)

Took bus one-four-three,
    From Piccadilly,
Along Oxford Road,
    Passed the old unis,
Those shops with saris,
    And my first abode.

At Didsbury Village,
    The Old Parsonage
Lo...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 123 of 230:  FONDLY AND VIVIDLY/AN OLYMPICS-SPARKED MEMOIR SONG - AUT. 2000

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF A-MAJOR:

C#2 A2 B2 c#2 d2 d3 c#1 c#1 c#3
G#2 A2 B2 G#2 A3
F#2 F#2 G#2 G#2 A2 A2 G#2 G#2
G#2 F#2 F#2 G#2 A2 A3
C#2 A1 A1 A1 A3 B2 B2 A2
A1 A1 G#2 G#2 G#1 G#1 A2 A3
C#2 A3 A1 A3 B1 B3 A2
A2 A2 G#2 A2 B3 G#1 A3

C#2 A3 A1 A3 B1 B3 A2
A2 G#2 A2 B1 G#2 A3
C#2 A3 A1 A3 B1 B3 A2
A1 A3 ...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 130 of 230:  ENTRÉE/AT BOLTON’S ALBERT HALL:  OPERA SONG - WINTER 2000/1

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF C MAJOR:

G2 A2 B2 c3 B3
c2 d2 c2 B3
B2 c2 B2 d3 d3
G2 E2 D2 C3
c2 e2 f2 e3 e3
e2 e2 d2 c3
c2 e2 f2 g3 g3
G2 E2 D2 C3)

From novel, and play,
To opera,
La Traviata
Was my entrée
To an art forma
I find is a
Fine way to relay
A storia.

(C) David Franks 2003
From http://walkabo...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 136 of 230:  LANCASHIRE SUNG SIMPLY

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF F MAJOR: 

D2 A2 Bb2 A2
D2 A2 Bb2 A2 G2 F2 F3
D2 A2 Bb2 A2
D2 A2 Bb2 A2 G2 F2 F3)

Lancashire:
Cut by rivers/met by sea;
Patched by farmlands,
Mills and other industry.

Lancashire:
With your linkslands by the sea - 
Rough left wild/
Greens and fairways clipped neatly.

Lancashire:
With your Pennine boundary;
Stee...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 141 of 230:  IN A SMALL POT

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF G MAJOR: 

D1 F#1 F#1 F#2
G1 F#1 E1 E2
D1 E1 E1 E2
F#1 E1 D1 D3)

I like Acers
    But rent a flat,
So mimic one
    In a small pot:

As for starters,
    I made a plat
Of ivy run
    Out from one spot;

To this basis
    (All round the mat,
In a trunk-bun),
    Dirt - soaked a lot;

Without traces
    (Not got down p...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 144 of 230:  LINGOLF

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF B-FLAT MAJOR:

Eb2 G1 G2 G2 A1 A2
A2 Bb2 c3 c1 c2 Bb2
Eb2 F2 G2 A2 A2 A2
F2 A3 Bb2 G3 G2 G3)

Your honour, Your Honour.
    Watch out - he’s a burglar.
I’m to school on your putt.
    That’s one heck of a cut!

It’s my bread and butter -
    A left-to-right cutter.
That’s where elephants die.
    That’s a grave - not a lie.

I’m i...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 159 of 230:  WINDERMERE - SUMMER 2001

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF C MAJOR:

C2 F3 G2 F3 D1 F2 D3 C1 C3
B2 G3 F2 A1 G3 B2 c1 c3
C2 F3 G2 F3 D1 F2 D3 C1 C3
B2 G3 F2 A1 G3 B2 c1 c3

C2 F2 B2 e2
e1 d1 c1 B1 A1 G1 F3
C2 F2 B2 e2
e1 d1 c1 B1 A1 G1 F3) 

Some thirteen years since my first visit
    (Then, dropped - from hitching - just near;
This time, by train and a downhill walk),
    ...

Read and leave comments (1)

Poem 162 of 230:  TEES TO TYNE:  FIRST IMPRESSIONS - SUMMER 2001

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF G MAJOR: 

E3 F#1 F#1 E2 D2 E3 F#1 F#3
F#3 G1 G1 A2 B2 A3 G1 G3
D2 G2 A1 A3 B2 B2 A1 A3
F#2 G2 A3 B2 B2 A3 A2-G2 G3

D2 D2 F#2 F#2 F#2-G2 F#2 E1 E3
E2 E2 E2 E2 F#3 E2 D1 D3)

Where traditions are not so rare.
    Works, country and sea scent the air.
A multitude of monuments,
    Planted tubs and...

Read and leave comments (0)

Poem 230 of 230:  CHRISTMAS SUNG SIMPLY/AS GOSPELLERS HAVE SAID

(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF G MAJOR:

D2 A2 B2 A2 G2 E3
E1 E1 D2 G2 F#2 G3
D2 A2 B2 A2 G2 E3
D2 A2 B2 A2 G2 E3
E1 E1 D2 G2 F#2 G3
D2 A2 B2 A2 G2 E3
E1 E1 D2 G2 F#2 G3

D2 A2 B2 A2 G2 E3
E2 D2 G2 F#2 G3
D2 A2 B2 A2 G2 E3
E2 D2 G2 F#2 G3)

As gospellers have said,
Beneath signalling skies,
On land dusty to tread,
A trough...

Read and leave comments (2)