Agree on all, Stephen, & yes, Max, it struck a lovely note...
Doug (late to the party).
Quoting Stephen Vincent <[log in to unmask]>:
> This is lovely, Max. Happy Birthday. You have obviously done a lot of right
> things with people - and boy did your party bring it back in spades, or, it
> would seem, the touch of silk scarves. Thanks for spreading it around!
>
> Stephen V
> http://stephenvincent.net/blog/
>
>
>
>
>> What I Got
>>
>> What did I get
>> for my seventieth?
>> Two sweet emails and two
>> phone calls from New Zealand,
>> my loved home country.
>> A book voucher worth
>> rather more than I am,
>> still burning my pocket.
>> Silk ties from Thailand,
>> from my globetrotting son;
>> gloves and scarves from Italy,
>> from my globetrotting
>> daughter and son-in-law;
>> all just back home - there's
>> a gift - safe and sound.
>>
>> Two desired recent
>> books from New Zealand,
>> fiction and verse,
>> both by C.K.Stead,
>> who taught me in '62 -
>> from our mutual friend.
>>
>> A big party at our place
>> with dozens of smiling faces.
>> Bottles of good red wine
>> in bright wrappers,
>> one of scotch, and one (historic)
>> of Pimms Number One Cup.
>> A vroom-vroom toy car
>> made of coca-cola tin.
>>
>> A statuette by my friend
>> titled 'The Storyteller'
>> but his face is featureless,
>> Išll be tempted to add
>> eyes and a smile.
>>
>> Graphic art by two other friends,
>> one satirical of bookshops
>> and their patrons like me,
>> one of Beijing dogs on Beijing paper,
>> with advice on how to frame it
>> (not cheap), and an offer
>> to do our pup's portrait -
>> it would take two days.
>>
>> An hour of songs sung by
>> Kate and Ruth, in tune with
>> their guitars and banjo
>> (see their website for their
>> range and quality),
>> their 'Boots of Spanish Leather'
>> unaccompanied lovely-sad.
>>
>> A Lebanese banquet from
>> Dunyazad in nearby Greythorn,
>> much relished by every guest
>> (scarcely sampled by me
>> so busy talking).
>>
>> A round of offerings
>> musical and poetical:
>> starting with a song about me
>> adapted from Mac the Knifeš;
>> a wicked Tom Lehrer song
>> sensational for those
>> too young first time round;
>>
>> a prolonged skirl on the Scottish pipes
>> which most wished longer;
>> a Chopin mazurka with soul
>> on our little-used piano.
>> Three earnest poems from
>> three earnest poets, including me.
>>
>> John Anderson my Još sung
>> by Scotlandšs exported Burns expert;
>> Theodorakis on CD, playing
>> while our Greek friends
>> brewed up a happy cyclone
>> drawing us in to Zorba
>> the dancing Greek.
>>
>> To mention only a few.
>>
>>
>> Max Richards
>> Doncaster, Victoria
>>
>> Wednesday 20 June 2007
>
>
Douglas Barbour
11655 - 72 Avenue NW
Edmonton Alberta T6G 0B9
Thats not a cross look its a sign of life
Frank OHara
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