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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Transporting Pirates of Penzance for Battle of the Bulge




My own clockwork reset when I arrived;
seems that I'm shaped as man-sized teddy bear.
I had expected 1945,
But arrivals read 1954.

Not Paris' Gare du Nord but London's Paddington
with a ticket in my pocket for Penzance.
Was met by contact Sir Frank Henry Brown.
It is a cover to fit in with pirates; quite a dance

transporting crew and major general
back to the front by small derigible time machine.
Their craft awaits them on the River Rhine.
I left with Brown a robot replica
to act as a children's torch in case I'm seen;
Who'd guess such fun would come from that design.

(c) Gay Reiser Cannon * 10/30/2012 * All Rights Reservd

This is my "attempt" at a steampunk poem. Not exactly Victorian; but growing out of the Torchwood, Dr.Who steampunk vocabulary. Also from the gratification I now have that since my first trip to Paddington station, when finding NO Paddington bears there.  

30 comments:

  1. An intriguing piece of writing; but I think that Steampunk truly is 'above my head.'

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  2. Well this one depends on knowing a little about Paddington bear and that he had a sign on him when found that was like the ones they put on the children who left to go to the country during the blitz. And to know a little less about the Pirates of Penzance, all orphans, who were eventually married to the daughters of the "Very Model of a Modern Major General" whose name was I believe Alexander Brown, whereas the family of Henry Brown adopted Paddington Bear but he wasn't written until 1954 or published until 1958.

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  3. A couple of moths ago I saw a steampunked version of Jekyll and Hyde. I find all of it fascinating. Some of the jewelry and other devices are very creative.

    Lots in this poem, Gay. I particular like the Paddington Bear references.

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  4. Thanks Maureen. I like him too. He's so very polite. (And the pirates always saluted when Queen Victoria was mentioned I recall)

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  5. I really like this! Sort of dreamy/cracked. Glad Paddington now has his statue, too.

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  6. ha, nice....time travel is crazy to even think on, i would def screw things up...ha...still have not tried this you did really well with it...i love paddington bear as well....

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  7. Well I've been longing to write a time-travel piece. I'm a huge Dr. Who fan. And my first thought was to marry Paddington Bear and the Pirates of Penzance in a sort of tribute to my first trip after my husband died when I spent 7 weeks in Britain and 1 in Paris. I left London from Padddington and went from there to Penzance just enjoying the view from the train. Penzance was the end of the line. And neither station had anything about the icons we'd come to know them through. In researching it, found out since they've rectified that oversight at Paddington!

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  8. Love your inspiration and playfulness. Paddington Bear was my brother's favorite so he has a special place in my heart. I didn't connect the blitz orphan dots until you told me so thank you for that. There's a character in a sci-fi video game that's very popular right now called Mass Effect. In the second installment (there were three) an alien scientist bursts into the "Very Model of a Modern Major General" which was so delightfully out of place it made my day when I played it. I love there's finally a statue.

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  9. I couldn't figure out how to do it to the rhythm/rhyme/line length of Modern Major General - but really wanted to. Finally got it written when I opted for a sonnet. I'll have to ck with the grandsons re the sci-fi game. Maybe over Christmas!?

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  10. Gosh, this brings back memories. Used to love watching that little Bear...LOL
    Very nice poem Gay, made me smile.

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  11. Wonderful! My clockwork reset when I read it!

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  12. Thank you..maybe it's successful, I hope.

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  13. What’s beautiful about finely crafted poetry like this—much like music—is that one doesn’t need too many explanations, though those might edify our understanding of the poem. No close reading necessary when it works this well as the song it must be. It is.

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  14. Gay, hoorah for the Paddington bear! I enjoyed this very much.

    Pamela

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  15. It's so nice to go back a leaf into history. I had fun reading this with the historical elements new to me. Nicely Gay!

    Hank

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  16. Well, you keep it going with your creative steam punkness. Love, the bear and his wee lean to the side:)

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  17. I've never read steampunk, so some of this might have been lost on me. But I'm a big fan of time travel, and who wouldn't enjoy a trip back as Paddington Bear? I'm glad he finally got some recognition in his home place and time.

    P.S. I couldn't find an e-mail address to answer your comment on my offering, Gay, but just had to respond... That fifth grade nun's name was Sister Hubertine. And that should tell you a lot. Only nun I ever had who favored a judo chop to the neck to get one's attention.

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    1. Mine's name was Sister Mary Good Shepherd and she favored trying to break every bone in my hand with a hickory pointer. You can reach me any time @ gaycannon@yahoo.com

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  18. see..i find traveling while staying in your own time challenging enough...how adventurous and frightening would be time traveling...loved to read the stories of the bear when i was a kid..never came across the statue in the station unfortunately

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  19. Very cute= so strange that wouldn't have a kiosk at Paddington Station. k.

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  20. I like the ways you integrated so many elements. You've got a gift, that's for certain.

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  21. A delightful childhood journey with overtones of the adult that came from it, replicated it perhaps, in love. What fun, Gay.

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  22. There's more to this than meets the eye ~ interesting and thought-provoking ~ good one :)

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  23. I really enjoyed this piece. I felt like I was time traveling and loved the images you created. GREAT opening line. :)

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  24. This took me many places and times. I do know that the next time I visit my family home, I'm going to find my Paddington. Well written.

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  25. I love time travel...but i'll be honest...Too many references here of which I'm unfamiliar...Am at sixes and sevens today. I will come back and reread and research a little. xoxo

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  26. I'm still not sure I get the whole steampunk poem,but this definitely made for an interesting and fun read.

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