Tuesday
Jul. 23, 2002
Boots
Listen (RealAudio) | How to listen
Poem: "Boots," by Rudyard Kipling.
Boots
We're foot-slog-slog-slog-sloggin' over Africa-
Foot-foot-foot-foot-sloggin' over Africa-
(Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up and down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!
Seven-six-eleven-five-nine-an'-twenty mile to-day-
Four-eleven-seventeen-thirty-two the day before-
(Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again!);
There's no discharge in the war!
Don't-don't-don't-don't-look at what's in front of you.
(Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again);
Men-men-men-men-men-go mad with watchin' 'em,
An' there's no discharge in the war!
Try-try-try-try-to think o' something different-
Oh-my-God-keep-me from goin' lunatic!
(Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again!);
There's no discharge in the war!
Count-count-count-count-the bullets in the bandolier
If-your-eyes-drop-they will get atop o' you!
(Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up and down again)
There's no discharge in the war!
We-can-stick-out-'unger, thirst, an' weariness,
But-not-not-not-not the chronic sight of 'em-
Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again,
An' there's no discharge in the war!
'T'ain't-so-bad-by-day because o' company,
But night-brings-long-strings-o' forty thousand million
Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again.
There's no discharge in the war!
I-'ave-marched-six-weeks-in 'Ell an' certify
It-is-not-fire-devils, dark or anything,
But boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again,
An' there's no discharge in the war!
It's the birthday of novelist Lisa
Alther, born Lisa Reed, in Kingsport, Tennessee, in 1944, author of
Kinflicks in 1976, Five Minutes In Heaven in 1995, and other books.
It's the birthday of novelist John
Nichols, born in Berkeley, California, in 1940, author of The Sterile
Cuckoo in 1965, and his New Mexico Trilogy: The Milagro Beanfield War,
in 1974, The Magic Journey in 1978, and The Nirvana Blues in 1981.
It's the birthday of novelist Raymond
Chandler, born in Chicago in 1888. After he was fired from his job as
vice president of an oil company for drinking and womanizing, he turned to writing.
He wrote crime stories, and created the detective Philip Marlowe, the hero of
all seven of his novels. His books include The Big Sleep, Farewell,
My Lovely, and The Long Goodbye.
It's the birthday of American merchant and art collector S.H.
(Samuel Henry) Kress, born in Pennsylvania in 1863. He was the founder
of the Kresge chain of five-and-dime stores, and gave his collection of European
art to the National Gallery in Washington, in
1939.
Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.®