With a stiff upper lip and old school tie
still it's just not cricket
but the upper crust they say
are on a sticky wicket
to pay the estate or make ends meet
they have conducted tours
of stately homes safari parks
and the family jewels
we used to go to Scarborough Southend-on-Sea
Bognor Brighton Blackpool
have fish 'n' chips for tea
but now for fifty pee we natter
with a Duchess or the Duke
for half a quid a cuppa
with a true blue-blooded bloke
as they're all skint like me and you
there's not a lot a poor Lord can do
but bite the bullet and enjoy
hobnobbing with the hoi polloi
er first time on a board,
February 1922,
was Muizenberg, South Africa,
then again, in August,
the lady surfed Honolulu,
Hawaii, where,
by Duke Kahanamoku,
there may have been taught,
and in Waikiki lost her shorts.
Who would have thought,
of all the girls
in the whole wide world,
she was the sort to shoot the curl.
Tho' a novel way to spend the day,
no crime this time, yet still a mystery,
was the surfing passion of Agatha Christie.
Dodgers in five. Yankee fans weep.
Four times Freddie Freeman went deep.
We hope to see you here
again, this time next year.
Duke and Mickey go back to sleep.
Looking down from somewhere up in the sky.
Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider stand by.
Below, Bronx Bombers, all in their pinstripes,
come out swinging their bats, taking their swipes.
Dem Bums have Shohei Ohtani and Betts.
Get ready, this is as good as it gets.
"Play ball", says the ump, to a lightning flash.
Big bats heard o'er the land, a thunder crash.
It starts raining as, out of the park, it flies.
Is it Mantle or Snider who cries?
The Grand Old Duke of York,
he had a wealthy friend,
who matched his tastes at the top of the hill,
and matched them time and again.
It was said they were up to no good,
it was said they were down to no good,
when the Duke told the press, of Pizza Express,
he knew he'd said more than he should.
The Grand Old Duke of York,
he had a wealthy friend,
who spent his days in a small prison cell,
until the bitter end.
And if they were up to no good,
or if they were down to no good,
regret was expressed, though no-one confessed,
but maybe the Duchess could.
On Saturday night in Waikiki
The teenagers turn rather freaky
Though blue as a smurf
They all love to surf
Like a Kahanamoku tiki!
The Duke
Duke Paoa Kahanamoku
Hawaii’s Polynesian Legend
Olympic swimmer-strokes freestyle
Represented USA & Hawaii
Shattered all records
and brought surfing to the world!
Embraced Kaliani
Surfer's Mantra
Life Saver and introduced surfing to the mainland,
The beachboy gentleman
(1890–1968)
Goodbye, Prince Philip, husband of the Queen, age ninety-nine.
Thank you, for giving up prince hood from Greek and Danish lines.
Thank you, Royal Navyman, for setting prisoners free;
thanks for wildlife protection and awards as D of E.
January 13, 2022
Contest A Celebrity Epitaph
Sponsor Michelle Faulkner
He was a patient Prince Philip.
John Wayne, once said...
"Well, I can do it, but I don't know about my horse"
Well, if anyone can do it...
It would be "The Duke", of course
Until one late evening, with the sky half blue
Clouds of orange, deep purplish...too!
When another cowboy went along with the ride
Said, "I can do it too, but with my horse by my side
Duke, thought for a minute, then he said
"Cowboy, what's your name, son"
The cowboy replied-
"Tom Cunningham- And I can handle a gun"
So, the Duke thought again...
And with his patch on his eye
He said, "Okay, Tom Cunningham...
But watch out for the cacti"
So, they rode while the sunset
Till it rose early morn
Then, they rested 'neath the cacti
Man-handling the thorn
They both proved they can do it...
And they did it, no doubt
They got a butt full of cacti
And they let out a........SHOUT!
Dedicated to Tom Cunningham
Hulking African-American character-actor, Bill Duke.
Hollywood's most recognizable "Who's that dude?"
The ultimate king of cool, quiet menace on screen.
In real life, however, he's anything but mean.
Marion his given name most called him the Duke,
American lad made good living the dream,
Started as a bit actor,
B movie followed B movie he strived for more,
His big break came with the movie stagecoach,
Then everyone knew his name,
A true cowboy rugged good looks gravely voice,
Going to war with indians, gunslingers and more in his films,
The war he lost was to Cancer it won in 79,
Yet he is still remember today a tribute to his acting skill,
A new generation watch his films once again,
John Wayne legend a true star.
And you think you are fine
Till they say they want more
And you know you’re not quite right
You want to be sure
Who would have thought
Your world would end
As you unwind the string
You don’t want to pretend
I can’t be who you want me to be
My feet are bound to the floor
You leave me twisting in the wind
As you unlock the door
I think I know
I know you know
You think you
Know me so well
They think they know me so well
Received an invitation
to a place you know you can not go
The thin white Duke got lost in here
The ashes melt as you
break the ice
Sanitys’ always got a price
Careful how you balance the costs
Just want to be known for you
I think I know
I know you know
You think you
Know me so well
They think they
Know me so well
Prince Andrew in the press is tried, but he denied
both far and wide, as Duke of York (soon Earl?),
a train of thought upon the side,
a rain of sweat upon a girl.
Please, cork that Duke before I swirl!
Submitted 12/4/2019
Five Word Challenge Poetry Contest by Beth Evans
There was a man's man, you could say he was grand,
who blessed the cinema screen and had millions of fans.
When he swaggered into a room, men stepped aside,
their wives and their daughters they would all try to hide.
He had something about him, some called it true grit.
Others would say, "What ever it is, I wish I had it!"
He stood around six-foot-four, larger than life.
If you crossed paths, you had better brought more than a knife.
On and off the screen he got his respect,
actors today, sorry to say, don't have that effect.
Willis, Deniro, Pacino and the Rock all rolled into one,
wouldn't come close to John Wayne and the things he has done.
Now I've seen all his movies, thanks to my Dad, his number one fan.
From Rio Bravo, Rooster Cogburn, Chisum and The Quiet Man.
That's just a few, to list all would take too much time
and drain all my ink and ruin my rhyme.
The Duke didn't lose many fights that he fought,
the man he portrayed was invincible we thought.
The battle called cancer he just couldn't juke,
but I'll always remember this pilgrim, known as the Duke.
10/12/18
Rare is love such as
And as much as
The Duke of Sussex
Has for his Duchess
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