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Does this ring any bells with anyone ??

John R


-----Original Message-----
From: Ellen Clements <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 28 May 2000 00:20
Subject: Obscure poem that may/may not be by RK


>Dear Mr. Smith,
>
>Please don't be offended by this request. About 50+ years ago, when I was
in
>high school, a poem was being passed around among some of the students. As
I
>recall, it was printed in a bound book, & the boy showing it around said it
>was by Kipling. I got the impression that it was a bit of an underground
>item, although that may have been because in those days seeing even a
mildly
>taboo word like "bastard" in print was likely to produce a bit of a
frisson,
>especially if you were a girl.
>
>As I recall, the title of the poem is "The Ballad of the Bastard Kings of
>England," & it has a recurrent refrain at the end of each stanza that
starts
>(or perhaps ends) "Oh, our parents forgot to get married, . . . ." I've
>looked through the titles of poems in books purporting to be the complete
>poetry of RK and looked at poems with other titles that seemed promising,
>all without success. I'd be happy if you or any of your connections can
>point me in the right direction--by which I mean provide me with the
correct
>title, or disabuse me of the notion that it is by RK &provide the name of
>the real author. Perhaps someone is a bawdry enthusiast as well as a
Kipling
>lover.
>
>This item, which I remember as quite witty (but what does a 15-year-old
>know?), was published in a book, unlike many false attributions that
>are/were circulated as carbon, ditto, mimeo, or photo copies. I have one of
>these: a faded, wrinkled carbon copy of an item called "The Passing of the
>Old Out Back," allegedly by the American poet James Whitcomb Reilly, who
was
>kin to my late husband's family. Supposedly, it was too "earthy" to be
>published in his day, but my father-in-law claimed it was authentic. I have
>my doubts.
>
>Thank you for your kind attention to this trivial literary concern.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Ellen Clements
>"The Editor"
>[log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
>



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