New New-year News Request comical poem 713 by Angela Lansbury

 To all dear friends I used to know

Thoughts of you circle in my head

The first thing which I need to know

Is are you still alive or dead?

If you're dead, sorry, don't worry

Someone else next year will tell me

I've read namesake's obituaries

If there's a funeral, hurry

The second thing which I need to know

Are friends rich, poor, asleep in beds 

In cars, tents, hammocks, caravans

In grand hotels or garden sheds

Our New Year's cold in London here

Lorries skiing through traffic lights

Garden fireworks scared cats and rats

Dogs and chocolate hedgehogs have taken fright

Pair of Champagne glasses in front of computer screen showing London's New Year's Eve fireworks. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I've heard it's warm in New Zealand

But here it's eight hours sleep we need

If you can't afford cheap Champagne

Go to bed early, dream or breed

Next census they will do a count

Puzzled by such a large amount

Many shouldn't be here at all

Mum swam or climbed the Berlin wall

Like animals roam to and fro

Fingers tap links where we can't go

Watch the world on television

Drones and outer space precision

And if there's some calamity

Son says, I'm glad news isn't me.

-ends-

Bilingual English-Italian Poem comic poem number 501 by Angela Lansbury

 

Bilingual Poem by 

Angela Lansbury

(and her new friend 

Google Translate) 

Inspired by Duolingo

With rhymes playing bingo

Even just using my name

It's a wonderful game

This is bilingual, my poem

I wrote it in Italian

From phrases I learned today

Which said this, what I wanted to say - to you

I am learning Italian

I learned the past tense

What did I learn to say?

I greeted. Then I cheated

With AI translated

 I found my way

I was so excited

I practised all day

We understood each other, so well

I really liked it

Believe me, I loved it!

What time did you arrive?

What time were you there?

He had had some problems

We had kept it

Where had you put it?

We had become poor

The neighbours were rich

Now I am the teacher

I'm a learner and poet

I hope that you liked it

It is my gift to you

And your applause to me

Helps me on my way.

We will say goodbye for today

But I shall return tomorrow

We'll get together again

On a page or a train, or a plane.

I won't waste your time today

Two words, before you go on your way

I'll teach you to say hello

And I'll teach you to say goodbye.

-ends-

Poesia bilingue di

Angela Lansbury

(e la sua nuova amica

Google Traduttore)

Ispirata da Duolingo

Con rime che giocano a bingo

Anche solo usando il mio nome

È un gioco meraviglioso

Questa è bilingue, la mia poesia

L'ho scritta in italiano

Da frasi che ho imparato oggi

Che diceva questo, quello che volevo dire - a te

Sto imparando l'italiano

Ho imparato il passato remoto

Cosa ho imparato a dire?

Ho salutato. Poi ho barato

Con l'intelligenza artificiale tradotta

Ho trovato la mia strada

Ero così emozionata

Ho fatto pratica tutto il giorno

Ci siamo capiti, così bene

Mi è piaciuto molto

Credimi, mi è piaciuto!

A che ora sei arrivato?

A che ora eri lì?

Aveva avuto dei problemi

L'avevamo tenuto

Dove l'avevi messo?

Eravamo diventati poveri

I vicini erano ricchi

Ora sono io l'insegnante

Sono uno studente e un poeta

Spero che ti sia piaciuto

È il mio regalo per te

E il tuo applauso per me

Mi aiuta nel mio cammino.

Ci saluteremo per oggi

Ma tornerò domani

Ci incontreremo di nuovo

Su una pagina o un treno, o un aereo.

Non ti farò perdere tempo oggi

Due parole, prima che tu vada per la tua strada

Ti insegnerò a dire ciao

E ti insegnerò a dire arrivederci.

-fine-

Translation results

Translation result

Families and Family Trees comic poem 421 by Angela Lansbury

I promise ou I will not preach

But you'll fogrive me if I teach

So I won't waste our precious time

Deciding where to draw the line

We all have a family tree

So blame your ancestors, not me

If my hair is red or frizzy

I like sports, heights make me dizzy

You can't build egos on soft sand

Be positive and love both hands

I'm poor. but ancestors were kings

My parents were poor - I've got bling!

-ends-

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Image from freepik

A Good Sight For Your Site's Insights

Beware of bare bears.

A Good Sight For Your Site's Insights

I'll share my thoughts, like well-kept shares
Be bold and bare what I can't bear
Writers who mix up there and their
And mix the mix of Ware and where

Some poor souls are not poor, but pour
Their hearts out like bleeding harts, uncertain
Whether to hang themselves
Or just be hung like curtains

I shall not keep you hanging on
For you may be as busy as a bee
And keep on trying to earn your keep
So my dear friend please note this note

I'm near the end, the end is nigh,
Di's die is cast, it's do or dye
Pat pats my hand, there there, that's that
I'll send the dear deer end, and end - just like that.
-ends-
Angela Lansbury
Copyright  2019
Shared to the website of D G Kaye

This Is Your Pilot Speaking

This Is Your Pilot Speaking

 Song about a Poor Airline* 

by Angela Lansbury 

 “This is your pilot, 

I’m speaking to say 

You’re welcome aboard 

Our Happy Airlines 

Don’t be afraid on runway nor skyway 

Films show life’s worse 

Stuck down Chilean mines* 

 Copyright Angela Lansbury 2016 I typed this out with line breaks but the blog post system has kindly corrected it thinking I inserted line breaks by accident. If I knew HTML (which is not difficult) I might be able to re-load with proper line breaks. To remind myself, and inform you, dear reader, the HTML (hyper text mark up language?) is simple. It inserts ordinary English language instructions such as insert paragraph or insert line break followed inside a special bracket to show that is not part of the text but a layout instruction. I shall do that next time.

 However, even poets have lives to live apart from writing and reading poetry. So I must go away. I'll try to fix this next time I write a post.

About the author

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books, including  Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time

 

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

 Please share links to your favourite posts.