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NEW YEAR PUB NIGHT SPECIAL ifs and buts - Brian Strand's Blog

About Brian Strand
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English experiential poet of open verse& creator of the FOOTLE (singular form)&EMAGI digital reverse ekphrasis.A regular @PS since 2007 ,with 9500+ poems posted&sponsor of 1260 contests ( Amazon books- (500+) reviews)GOOGLE my POETRY BLOGS @https://www.blogger.com/profile/02166493604739619406.Read an Ekphrasis e-book for free @ http://free-ekphrasis-ebook.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 


NEW YEAR PUB NIGHT SPECIAL ifs and buts

Blog Posted:1/1/2017 6:41:00 AM
Whilst we sip and sup and welcome in in 2017,perhaps make a change or two to our lifstyle at any rate consider some of Rudyard's suggestions below in his most famous poetic offering:
 
If you can keep your head when all about you   
    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, 
    But make allowance for their doubting too;   
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, 
    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, 
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, 
    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: 
 
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   
    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster 
    And treat those two impostors just the same;   
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken 
    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, 
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, 
    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools: 
 
If you can make one heap of all your winnings 
    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, 
And lose, and start again at your beginnings 
    And never breathe a word about your loss; 
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew 
    To serve your turn long after they are gone,   
And so hold on when there is nothing in you 
    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ 
 
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   
    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, 
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, 
    If all men count with you, but none too much; 
If you can fill the unforgiving minute 
    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   
    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!


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Date: 1/2/2017 4:21:00 AM
FAO of PS newcomers ,this feature started some 2 years back.Check out Back Blogs for some very interesting discussions.Any one can start one !
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Date: 1/1/2017 10:04:00 PM
A man, yes, heck - practically an alien, by today's standards. Cheers, Brian. Happy New Year. : )
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Strand Avatar
Brian Strand
Date: 1/2/2017 4:23:00 AM
See my comment above Doug
Vinson Avatar
Doug Vinson
Date: 1/1/2017 10:04:00 PM
P.S. Every night is Pub Night, Eh? ; )
Date: 1/1/2017 4:02:00 PM
A wonderful poem, Brian. I love its message. Happy New Year to you.
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Date: 1/1/2017 11:34:00 AM
In these trying times, one can regain some insight by reading this again, and challenging ourselves to try to live with more virtue and dignity. A good poem to start a new year :) Thanks Brian...and for the last contest .....thanks again ! Happy New Year !
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Brian Strand
Date: 1/2/2017 5:35:00 AM
Tes, That's what prompted the post Carrie.Thanks for supporting my contests so faithfully
Date: 1/1/2017 9:29:00 AM
HEY...always one of my favorites. It was the first poem that tempted me to read more as it challenged and chided and left me thinking....about a whole lot of things....
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Date: 1/1/2017 8:11:00 AM
Although this was not written for his own son.This poem has much irony when one contrasts it with the pathos of Kiplings 'My Son Jack' , son who never came back from WW1
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Date: 1/1/2017 6:55:00 AM
I have always loved this piece. Didactic as it is it really transcends its content. Aspiring to higher ideals it some-how appeals to the altruistic nature in man. Love and laughter. SuZ
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My Past Blog Posts

 
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Date Posted: 12/25/2022 1:06:00 AM
A MESSAGE FOR CHRISTMAS DAY
Date Posted: 12/24/2021 11:12:00 AM
TITLES & poetry
Date Posted: 8/20/2021 5:50:00 AM
POETIC motivation
Date Posted: 8/14/2021 1:49:00 AM
POETIC DEVICES an observation
Date Posted: 8/13/2021 1:31:00 AM
WHY POETIZE
Date Posted: 8/11/2021 3:13:00 PM
POETICS an observation
Date Posted: 8/10/2021 3:33:00 AM
READING ALOUD the apex of poetry
Date Posted: 8/2/2021 3:58:00 AM
IMAGIST impressions
Date Posted: 7/19/2021 12:21:00 AM
QUINTAIN CINQUAIN PENTASTICH take your pick
Date Posted: 7/15/2021 1:07:00 AM
PROSE an observation
Date Posted: 7/13/2021 12:21:00 AM
JULY 4 an historic event
Date Posted: 7/4/2021 9:16:00 AM
BYRON modesty & fishing for praise -a quote
Date Posted: 6/30/2021 12:54:00 AM
A B C D E of poetry
Date Posted: 6/27/2021 2:03:00 AM
TEST MATCH SPECIAL an historic event
Date Posted: 6/17/2021 3:55:00 AM
To rime OR not THAT is the question inc UPDATE
Date Posted: 6/14/2021 12:28:00 AM
SHOW not TELL always is POETRY done WELL
Date Posted: 6/9/2021 1:21:00 AM
PERFECT in UNIQUENESS the EKPHRASIS
Date Posted: 6/1/2021 12:48:00 AM
PERFORMANCE or when poetry became an art inc UPDATE
Date Posted: 5/26/2021 7:20:00 AM
BReAKiNG THE GLASS CeILING
Date Posted: 5/23/2021 1:18:00 AM
Poetry and Prose CLOSE COUNTRY COUSINS
Date Posted: 5/17/2021 12:43:00 AM
SHAVUOT a historic event
Date Posted: 5/16/2021 12:11:00 AM
POETRY is it really an ART
Date Posted: 5/12/2021 12:22:00 AM
GOOD POETRY what is it
Date Posted: 5/5/2021 1:00:00 AM
POETIC inspiration A LIVING event
Date Posted: 4/25/2021 3:50:00 AM

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