Problem
What to do on holiday? Write poems about problems and solutions.
Answer
Today's poem from me to you is a poem on packing.
http://comicpoemsbynutter.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/packing-list-poem.html
Read on - I'll give you this link again at the end.
Story
I was in Philadelphia, USA, on a press trip. A fellow travel writer, an American, said he was going on local radio to talk about the destination. I said, "Ask them if they'd like an English writer with an English accent to talk about the destination, museums, shops, restaurants, history and so on. I'll speak after you, refer back to what you said, and cover anything you haven't already covered. He was happy to do that and said they agreed. So I told everybody at home, and the tourist board, that I would be on American radio.
I sat next to him as he talked, waiting for my turn.
At the end he passed me a note:
"She says I've covered everything. You are not needed."
I was disappointed and embarrassed. I quickly wrote back:
"I have a poem on Philadelphia's attractions. Would she like that? She hasn't had that! That's new!"
He told her, and grinned at me, and whispered, "Yes - but have you got a poem?"
I didn't have a poem, but I was prepared to make it up as I went along. I started writing rhyming couplets immediately.
Unfortunately I did not get a recording of what I said. But I can reconstruct the gist of my poem. We had just visited the big exhibition on Benjamin Franklin. I started with something like this:
"I'm a Brit in America, what must I see?
Lots of things which fascinate me
A historic city, where should tourists being?
At the exhibition of Benjamin Franklin!
"He said 'early to bed and early to rise'
Makes shops wealthy, tourists happy and wise
As Philadelphia's buildings grew higher and higher
He invented lighting conductors to prevent fires ..."
By the time she had checked my name again, and announced me, I had two verses.
I added something to appeal to listeners:
"The building I'm in is made safer by him
The building you're in is made safer by him
People worldwide are indebted to him
Don't you want to know more about Benjamin Franklin?"
Whilst I was reading them out, I touched my reading glasses and thought of another verse.
"He invented bifocals, I don't know how
I'm indebted to him, I'm using them now
He did so much for you and me
Come to Philadelphia - so much new to see!"
At the end, she asked me about myself, travel writer, author of ten books, lived in the USA in Rockville Maryland, then what I had seen and liked in Philadelphia, such as the Hop on and Hop off bus and the trip down the river on the Duck tour on the converted amphibian WWII army vehicle and the USA - Elvis museums, homes of famous Americans such as poet Edgar Allan Poe.
We now have a Benjamin Franklin Museum in London, England.
Tips
Write a poem, at least a title and one couplet, each day of your trip and each destination.
Websites
http://comicpoemsbynutter.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/packing-list-poem (My poem on packing)
http://comicpoemsbynutter.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/benjamin-franklin-poem-by-angela (view the Benjamin Franklin poem without comments in the middle, plus a verse about the UK museum.)
https://www.visittheusa.com
http://www.visitphilly.com
http://www.visitphilly.com/museums-attractions/philadelphia/benjamin-franklin-museum/ (USA museum in Philadelphia)
http://www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org/site/sections/ (Benjamin Franklin house in London, England)
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Please share links to my posts on travel and poetry.
What to do on holiday? Write poems about problems and solutions.
Answer
Today's poem from me to you is a poem on packing.
http://comicpoemsbynutter.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/packing-list-poem.html
Read on - I'll give you this link again at the end.
Story
I was in Philadelphia, USA, on a press trip. A fellow travel writer, an American, said he was going on local radio to talk about the destination. I said, "Ask them if they'd like an English writer with an English accent to talk about the destination, museums, shops, restaurants, history and so on. I'll speak after you, refer back to what you said, and cover anything you haven't already covered. He was happy to do that and said they agreed. So I told everybody at home, and the tourist board, that I would be on American radio.
I sat next to him as he talked, waiting for my turn.
At the end he passed me a note:
"She says I've covered everything. You are not needed."
I was disappointed and embarrassed. I quickly wrote back:
"I have a poem on Philadelphia's attractions. Would she like that? She hasn't had that! That's new!"
He told her, and grinned at me, and whispered, "Yes - but have you got a poem?"
I didn't have a poem, but I was prepared to make it up as I went along. I started writing rhyming couplets immediately.
Unfortunately I did not get a recording of what I said. But I can reconstruct the gist of my poem. We had just visited the big exhibition on Benjamin Franklin. I started with something like this:
"I'm a Brit in America, what must I see?
Lots of things which fascinate me
A historic city, where should tourists being?
At the exhibition of Benjamin Franklin!
"He said 'early to bed and early to rise'
Makes shops wealthy, tourists happy and wise
As Philadelphia's buildings grew higher and higher
He invented lighting conductors to prevent fires ..."
By the time she had checked my name again, and announced me, I had two verses.
I added something to appeal to listeners:
"The building I'm in is made safer by him
The building you're in is made safer by him
People worldwide are indebted to him
Don't you want to know more about Benjamin Franklin?"
Whilst I was reading them out, I touched my reading glasses and thought of another verse.
"He invented bifocals, I don't know how
I'm indebted to him, I'm using them now
He did so much for you and me
Come to Philadelphia - so much new to see!"
At the end, she asked me about myself, travel writer, author of ten books, lived in the USA in Rockville Maryland, then what I had seen and liked in Philadelphia, such as the Hop on and Hop off bus and the trip down the river on the Duck tour on the converted amphibian WWII army vehicle and the USA - Elvis museums, homes of famous Americans such as poet Edgar Allan Poe.
We now have a Benjamin Franklin Museum in London, England.
Tips
Write a poem, at least a title and one couplet, each day of your trip and each destination.
Websites
http://comicpoemsbynutter.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/packing-list-poem (My poem on packing)
http://comicpoemsbynutter.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/benjamin-franklin-poem-by-angela (view the Benjamin Franklin poem without comments in the middle, plus a verse about the UK museum.)
https://www.visittheusa.com
http://www.visitphilly.com
http://www.visitphilly.com/museums-attractions/philadelphia/benjamin-franklin-museum/ (USA museum in Philadelphia)
http://www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org/site/sections/ (Benjamin Franklin house in London, England)
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Please share links to my posts on travel and poetry.
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