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While up at Magdalen
Spent the time dagdalen.
Moved on to Caius
Became the baius knaius
'Oxford Blues' is one of the many new poems in this expanded and revised edition of
The State of Poetry, Roger McGough's book of short humorous verse which was published in 2005 as part of Penguin's 70s series celebrating its 70th anniversary. From a poem commissioned to commemorate Dylan Thomas in just 140 characters, which unfortunately comes to an end mid-word, to a pre-emptive erratum notice, these poems show McGough at his inventive, hilarious best,
with new line drawings by the author at no extra charge.
Photo, Colin Clarke ARPS
'His poetry is like a supermodel who can complete a Sudoku puzzle moments before swishing down the catwalk --- easy on the eye and smart as a whip.'
Lorne Jackson, Birmingham Daily Post
Roger
McGough, ‘a trickster you
can trust’, is one of Britain’s best-loved poets for
both adults & children.
Photo, Patrick Neale
He was awarded his O.B.E. for services to
poetry in 1997 and more recently a C.B.E. He was recently
honoured with the Freedom of the City of Liverpool.
Live concert cd Lively available here.
"There you go son. Makes you smell like
Roger McGough."
© Bill Stott www.billstott.freeuk.com
His autobiography Said And Done (Century)
explores overnight fame with Lily The Pink, The Scaffold and
Yellow Submarine which he helped write for the Beatles.
'the
patron saint of poetry' Carol
Ann Duffy
‘He is a true original and more than one generation
would be much the poorer without him’ The
Times
'Liverpool's own Poet Laureate' Daily Post
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extract from A FINE ROMANCE
Excuse me darling, in advance
for the slow, macabre dance
I may one day lead you into.
Holding you too tight for comfort
and whispering endearments,
if I should call you by another's name,
a lover's perhaps, from years ago,
don't be startled. It's just a slip
of the moonlight.
© Roger McGough That Awkward Age Penguin
Permission to reproduce in any format must be secured from PFD.
http://www.pfd.co.uk/books/permissions_requests.shtml
PAY-BACK TIME
O Lord, let me be a burden on my children
For long they've been a burden upon me.
May they fetch and carry, clean and scrub
And do so cheerfully.
Let them take it in turns at putting me up
Nice sunny rooms at the top of the stairs
With a walk-in bath and lift installed
At great expense.....Theirs.
Insurance against the body-blows of time
Isn't that what having children's all about?
To bring them up knowing that they owe you
And can't contract out?
What is money for but to spend on their schooling?
Designer clothes, mindless hobbies, usual stuff.
Then as soon as they're earning, off they go
Well, enough's enough.
It's been a blessing watching them develop
The parental pride we felt as each one grew.
But Lord, let me be a burden on my children
And on my children's children too.
© Roger McGough Selected Poems Penguin
Permission to reproduce in any format must be secured from PFD.
http://www.pfd.co.uk/books/permissions_requests.shtml
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