Harry Ricketts: The Traditional Ballad
A fast start. The wine’s always red.
There’ll be love and somebody dead.
There is often a chorus
because ballads are for us
and are miles better sung than when said.
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Martin Parker: John Betjeman
John Betjeman
was not a tetchy man.
But plans to demolish St. Pancras
made him cantancras.
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L. A. Mereoie: How To Be A Person Of The People
Voters greet you with Boo ! mixed with Yah ! ?
Change your accent, it's too lah-di-dah.
Then, to shed the 'posh' label,
Use a plain desk or table
And get rid of that damned escritoire.
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Philip Kitcher: Doctor John Locke
Doctor John Locke
will never rock
the ship of state,
or admit anything innate.
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Harry Ricketts: Othello
Othello’s a gullible fighter,
Iago’s a poisonous blighter.
With Cassio framed
Desdemona gets blamed,
which results in a put-out-the-lighter.
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Philip Kitcher: Bishop George Berkeley,
Bishop George Berkeley
seen through a glass, darkly,
invariably appears
a congeries of mere ideas.
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Harry Ricketts: Clare, Cowper and Crabbe
John Clare, William Cowper, George Crabbe,
are each in their way rather fab.
Though not now much read,
they still sing in the head,
and all were close friends of Queen Mab.
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Philip Kitcher: David Hume
David Hume
allows no room
for any empirical
defence of a miracle.
