It’s the weekend, and while our metro-elites, lefties to the core, are having their annual mud-party at Glasto, including the appearance of Jeremy Corbyn, the world-famous pop singer, I am in the mood for poetry. You may have heard of Rudyard Kipling, if you are part of the despised ‘baby boomers’. Later generations have been told that his poems can be disregarded because he’s “right-wing” and a dead, old white man. I’m not alone though in thinking that some of his poems, written about 100 years ago, are extremely prescient, and that they describe what so many of us feel after the turmoil of the last years. “Feelings”, we’ve learned, are very important nowadays, more important than facts. I’ve chosen three poems, quoted in full, which might have been written today.
The first poem is called “The Gods of the Copybook Headings”. In olden times, schoolchildren had copybooks in which to practice perfect handwritings. That is what the poem’s title refers to. These headings were also meant to teach schoolchildren morals. So without further ado, here it is:
The Gods of the Copybook Headings
As I pass through my incarnations in every age and race,
I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place.
Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all.
We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turn
That Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn:
But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breadth of Mind,
So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed the March of Mankind.
We moved as the Spirit listed. They never altered their pace,
Being neither cloud nor wind-borne like the Gods of the Market Place,
But they always caught up with our progress, and presently word would come
That a tribe had been wiped off its icefield, or the lights had gone out in Rome.
With the Hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch,
They denied that the Moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch;
They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings;
So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things.
When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace.
They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “Stick to the Devil you know.”
On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life
(Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife)
Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “The Wages of Sin is Death.”
In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “If you don’t work you die.”
Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew
And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true
That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more.
As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man
There are only four things certain since Social Progress began.
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,
And the burnt Fool’s bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire;
And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!
It looks to me as if the General Election just passed, with the swing to Labour especially amongst the youth vote, the cry for ‘Free Stuff’ and never mind the mess such demand has made of our country every time ‘free-stuffers’ voted a Labour Government in, has been perfectly described by Kipling.
The second poem I choose still describes the way our governments treat those who put their lives on the line to defend our country. It’s especially relevant for three reasons: the news that the welfare budget for London alone is larger than that for the MoD; the news that 7,000 veterans are homeless while government, after the Grenfell Tower inferno, is prepared to rehome these residents in ‘luxury Kensington flats’ – remember that Corbyn demanded empty luxury properties to be seized for them but Labour and Momentum have never demanded that veterans be given priority for ordinary social housing! – and the unprecedented attacks on Tommy Robinson in that infamous ITV interview with Piers Morgan. That poem has the title ‘Tommy”:
Tommy
I WENT into a public ‘ouse to get a pint o’ beer,
The publican ‘e up an’ sez, ” We serve no red-coats here.”
The girls be’ind the bar they laughed an’ giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an’ to myself sez I:
O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ ” Tommy, go away ” ;
But it’s ” Thank you, Mister Atkins,” when the band begins to play
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it’s ” Thank you, Mister Atkins,” when the band begins to play.
*
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but ‘adn’t none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-‘alls,
But when it comes to fightin’, Lord! they’ll shove me in the stalls!
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ ” Tommy, wait outside “;
But it’s ” Special train for Atkins ” when the trooper’s on the tide
The troopship’s on the tide, my boys, the troopship’s on the tide,
O it’s ” Special train for Atkins ” when the trooper’s on the tide.
*
Yes, makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an’ they’re starvation cheap.
An’ hustlin’ drunken soldiers when they’re goin’ large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin’ in full kit.
Then it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an` Tommy, ‘ow’s yer soul? “
But it’s ” Thin red line of ‘eroes ” when the drums begin to roll
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it’s ” Thin red line of ‘eroes, ” when the drums begin to roll.
*
We aren’t no thin red ‘eroes, nor we aren’t no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An’ if sometimes our conduck isn’t all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don’t grow into plaster saints;
While it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an` Tommy, fall be’ind,”
But it’s ” Please to walk in front, sir,” when there’s trouble in the wind
There’s trouble in the wind, my boys, there’s trouble in the wind,
O it’s ” Please to walk in front, sir,” when there’s trouble in the wind.
*
You talk o’ better food for us, an’ schools, an’ fires, an’ all:
We’ll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don’t mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow’s Uniform is not the soldier-man’s disgrace.
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an` Chuck him out, the brute! “
But it’s ” Saviour of ‘is country ” when the guns begin to shoot;
An’ it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please;
An ‘Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool – you bet that Tommy sees!
And finally, my favourite poem by Kipling – a poem which for many of us describes the undercurrents in our country, where the government and the metro-establishment belittles or plain disregards what we, the people think.
Every time I read it, it sends shivers down my spine. Here it is:
The Beginnings
It was not part of their blood,
It came to them very late
With long arrears to make good,
When the English began to hate.
~
They were not easily moved,
They were icy-willing to wait
Till every count should be proved,
Ere the English began to hate.
~
Their voices were even and low,
Their eyes were level and straight.
There was neither sign nor show,
When the English began to hate.
~
It was not preached to the crowd,
It was not taught by the State.
No man spoke it aloud,
When the English began to hate.
~
It was not suddenly bred,
It will not swiftly abate,
Through the chill years ahead,
When Time shall count from the date
That the English began to hate.
Enjoy your weekend, and let’s hope it is a peaceful one!
(These and more poems by Kipling can be found here)
Reference DD’s comments on “Churchill”. I’ve seen Brian Cox on stage more than once. Titus Andronicus at Stratford springs to mind where he cuts his hand off on stage. When Olivier did so at the same venue (c.1947?) they had to have St John’s in the theatre to stretcher out the ‘fainters’. I’ve grown to appreciate another ‘Churchill’ film: The Gathering Storm with Albert Finney as The Man. It centres largely on his association with a whistle blower in the Foreign Office called Ralph Wigram who, when reading bulletins coming in from Germany, realised that Hitler was re-arming. He didn’t know how to disseminate the info (official Secrets Act) until someone referred him to Churchill. The cables persuaded Churchill of Hitler’s intentions and he took it from there. It seems he met resistance in Parliament. There may be poetic licence here but there’s no doubt that the Establishment hounded Wigram to his death. Other details can be found on WINSTONCHURCHILL.ORG, search on Ralph Wigram (top right). He’s buried at Cuckfield, Sussex. The site carries a couple of reviews of the film which are enthusiastic.
Thank you Vivian for another winner:
Great examples of classic, historic wisdom and truth so shamefully ignored, or perhaps despised, by our appalling, predominantly left-wing, ‘modern’ education system.
Wow!
Like minded people.
I love Kipling’s works with a passion. Whatever he wrote, novels, stories, poetry or rapportage. As with my father some 44 years later, he was born in India to British parents. So I was bought up on a diet of Kipling from a time that was even earlier than I had heard the great man’s name. A large part of my family had been stationed out there, mostly as doctors, his mother was one of 12 children, 7 of which became doctors and she became a matron. Most of them survived long enough to hear Kipling falling from their lips as well… Amazingly, I did not rebel against it but it became the backdrop for my life. The line between innate and acquired knowledge becomes very narrow at this stage of development!
So thanks, Viv, for reminding us of what we are, and what my roots were. I can do no more than to offer my ‘bible’ in return, If- :
I have just come back from the movies having watched ‘Churchill’, what a superb film it is, the acting is a master class in action by Brian Cox and Miranda Richardson who plays Clem, Churchill’s wife. It is such a strong performance of such a monumental individual in our history, Cox captures the essence of the man and also how he become part and parcel of the British DNA, but somehow IMO that has got lost over the years.
I have to say I was very moved by this film and would highly recommend going to see it, not just because of the history and the story itself which obviously has some poetic licence added, but what saddened me the most is we have no one like Churchill at the moment, no one we can trust or depend on to get us through our trials and tribulations like he did. The British people and in fact, the rest of the World were indeed unbelievably lucky to have at that time someone of his strength of character to pull them through the direst of times. The speech that he made towards the end of the film just as the ‘D Day’ landings were commencing in my mind could have been made today, in the resoluteness that is required to defeat pure evil.
It is a disgrace that Cox plays the part of such a great Briton like Churchill – Cox is a rabid SNP supporter.
John,
I think you are being silly, the actor’s politics should not come into it should it? Surely it should be down to their skill alone.
Not sure if you’ve heard yet Brian but 10,000 (and that looked accurate on the facebook video) London football fans had an orderly march thro’ London today protesting against extremism. Four European men who were due to speak at a ‘right wing’ Birmingham rally were banned from entering Britain and turned around. (24/7/17)Imagine the police work that went into organising that operation. Eavesdropping etc.
It wasn’t reported on a single MSM TV Channel last night. Quiet, good humoured march and they had beautiful wreaths, each Club had provided one in their colors, which they laid on London Bridge after a minutes silence. Worth reporting? BBC – the BRITISH Broadcasting Cockwomble (latest Twitter word hope its rude enough but not too rude!) paid for by BRITS – I cannot forgive them.
Everyone needs to get onto Twitter or utube for their news – it is not reported on anywhere else any more.
As overseas RO, I like this stanza:
Winds of the World, give answer? They are whimpering to and fro—
And what should they know of England who only England know?
Rudyard Kipling writing nearly one hundred years ago still speaks to us now – or some of us anyway. He speaks to those who don’t regard football players as heroes; don’t believe that knowing who won ‘X Factor’ or who slept with whom on ‘Love Island’ is the most important thing to know; don’t care who is headlining at Glastonbury; don’t think that the most important choice to be made is which wine will go down well at the barbie.
What will life be like in the UK (if it still exists) in 2119? Will the British people have been sold, and bound, and delivered to our foe by the traitors who now rule us? Or will we begin to hate those who would betray us, those who would bind us, stand up and fight for the freedom of future generations? Our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers had to fight for our freedom even though they did not start the wars. Looks like it’s our turn now, and we need Tommy more than ever.
Panmelia, take heart from the wonderful march in London today, by football fans, as mentioned by Roger above. They were quiet, orderly and full of good humour. It had a few addresses at the beginning, a wonderful one by a Sikh Leader who said that the British must no longer abide by Political Correctness, and must call a spade a spade. He said that at last Britain was waking up, and if the Government won’t address the problem the people would demand that they did. Perhaps you have heard or seen it.
People ARE waking up, and it’s down in great part to Tommy Robinson, but not only to him – something big is starting to happen. Wait and see! Wouldn’t it be great if UKIP was the Political wing of this movement! It would have been even greater if UKIP had already been that. I am really embarrassed that they aren’t, that they are so busy navel gazing and squabbling – but the big change that is coming will go on with or without UKIP. Thank God for it.
David Coburn and others still spouting poison on Twitter, nothing changes, everything stays the same. UKIP is in danger of becoming totally irrelevant, unless members take control.
Yes Dee, you are right at last we are beginning to wake up in this country, but what was so evident about this peaceful march was how it was completely ignored by the MSM, in fact, I would not be surprised if it had not had a ‘D’ notice issued against reporting it. What are they so frightened of or what are they trying to suppress more like? Are they so worried about how people may react to decent people being offended and angered by mass murder committed on their streets in the name of a religion.
The more the government try to suppress this quite rightly boiling anger and resentment then the more it will bubble up under the radar, also, because they refuse do deal with it then they and they alone are responsible for any reprisal attacks. Although I totally disagree with taking the law into your own hands and hurting other innocent people including children, I totally understand why some folks are just losing their patience with matters as they stand.
And Dee I agree with you re Tommy Robinson even though he has his faults as do we all he is a better leader and example of fair play than all the other so called leaders put together, and I will say it again UKIP would be oh so much better by supporting him and his followers than being against him, they simply do not have a clue.
Yes! Another excellent contribution – and at just the right time.
I am going away to see if I have any of his poetry here at home; and if not to get some.
TOMMY I am very familiar with and it is so damned right it is almost embarrassing, Thankyou once again.
PS Injured and hospitalised Roy Larner hero of the London Bridge/Borough Market terrorism is reduced to sleeping on a friend’s couch with zero prospect of any form of housing help from Mayor Khan’s rule in London.
Yes that last poem is something I’ve tried to explain to so many people around the world. These people just don’t understand us, they think we’re a pushover. I suppose you have to be English or at least British to understand, everyone else will be in for a surprise one day.
Yes, but when are WE going to have a million person “Day of Rage”. A really peaceful orderly one, where ‘we the people’ make it quite plain to our elites that what they are doing is not in our name. The mass immigration, the wheedling to keep ties with the EU, the denigration of our Armed forces within an ineffective “EU Army”, the ‘big government’ and ongoing debt financing and the political correctness together with demonisation (and prosecution/imprisonment now) of those who speak out against PC. Are a million patriots ready to march on Whitehall if someone charismatic enough organizes it?
Brian, the truth is that many people nowadays have been educated into more of a herd, rather than a tribe mentality imo. We must depend on the Independent thinkers to carry the flag, and then people will gratefully fall in behind.
It’s similar to when you herd a flock of sheep through a gateway. They all bunch up, then a Leader dashes through the gateway with all the others following. Not just that, but the Leader jumps across the opening, lest there is a reason for hesitation. Every following sheep will also jump, although the ground is flat.
We need a Leader with balls of steel to lead the way. Others will follow.
“A really peaceful orderly one…” until the PC police kick off against us.
Thanks Viv
When people’s minds are closed to argument, and you sometimes doubt that you can even be sharing the same world as them – poetry can perhaps reach into their souls, if they’ll just listen. It sometimes has a power beyond logic, but true to it.
Kipling was not a conventional war poet, but he became one by proxy, when he lost his son to war and blamed himself for that loss. He was involved, I believe, in the creation of that great memorialisation by our state, of the war to end wars.
Thank you Viv. My favourite too is the bottom one, but the most prescient by far is the top one – again and again and again. Actually I feel a tear coming into my eye, that our beautiful World should be being so despoiled, and people everywhere used by those who have no morals and to whom power is everything. I had better re-read The Beginnings – and resolve to assist and honour the Tommys – strange that Tommy Robinson and Tommy English haven’t sought to lead, but have answered the call when it came.