1 EAGLETON NOTES: 'If''. The alternative (by Frances Garrood)

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Wednesday 28 May 2014

'If''. The alternative (by Frances Garrood)

If you can fill your room with junk and clutter, 
And still contrive to find your (unmade) bed.
If you withstand your parents' angry mutter
And play your music extra loud, instead.
If you can hoard your dirty mugs and dishes
And grow green mould therein, and cease to mind,
Stand fast against your teachers' well-meant wishes,
And, stalwart, keep your place in class (behind).
If you can eat three plates of food at mealtimes
And still have room for cereal in between,
And leave your dirty garments where you dropped them,
So everyone can tell where you have been.
If you can leave the jobs you're meant to do, lad,
And make quite sure that they remain undone,
Yours is this room, and everything that's in it.
You've now become a teenager, my son!

Frances Garrood

Dedicated to T, B and J.( But particularly T.)

(With thanks to Tess at Magpie Tales for the picture, and apologies to Kipling)

Frances Garrood writes books.  In my humble opinion, and I am not alone in that view, very good and certainly very enjoyable books.  She also pens limerick after limerick and poem after poem on her blog (usually in response to Magpie Tales whatever they are).

This particular adaptation really appealed to me: possibly because Son 2 who is now one of the most meticulously fastidious of young men went through this phase with a vengeance.

I apologise for the repetition to those of you who have already read it on Frances's blog (with image). 

20 comments:

  1. It's great, isn't it! I agree with you on Frances being a very good writer, I have read all her books and enjoyed them very much. Hopefully, there'll be another one soon!

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    1. I hope so too Meike. Apparently, though, Frances is half way through. I think we should ask her to speed up.

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  2. This is very apt for the last few days and a particularly messy young man who lives in our household who takes ALL of these things to another level completely!

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    1. Serenata take comfort from the fact that you are not alone!

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  3. I certainly like Kipling and I have no problem with good use of a well known pattern. I wonder how many of us went through the completely chaotic stage of looking after ourselves?

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    1. I'm afraid I've always had a boring desire for order Red.

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  4. Graham, you are very kind. Thank you. And for anyone who is interested, Tess on her Magpie Tales blog posts weekly pictures to inspire writers. It's fun, and a great way of wasting time that should be spent doing other things (like tackling half-finished novels...).

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  5. This poem captures life in my house ~ who would have known? Thank you for sharing GB.

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    1. I'm afraid to say, Carol, that you are not alone! However it does get better.

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  6. An excellent poem, deserves spreading around! She is such a good writer and I always enjoy her blog!

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    1. Thanks Jenny. I enjoy her blog too and I admire her ability to come up with this sort of poem for every occasion.

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  7. Oh, that Frances IS a good writer! And that poem is so true, my son was a teenager not that many years ago!
    I love Rudyard Kipling too. I haven't got to see much in England other than Eastbourne but I have visited Bateman's a few times (Kipling's home). It's lovely.

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    1. Kay you are one step ahead of me. I have never seen Batemans. I have put it on my to visit list.

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  8. My daughter dear is still going through this phase with a vengeance!!

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    1. And, Virginia, I have a feeling she is just past her teenage years? Oh dear.

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  9. Surely this is a site well worth seeing.

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    1. It is indeed Jerry. Thank you for your visit here.

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