Thursday, November 19, 2009

The Charge of the Leaf Brigade

In emailing some "friends" today, I came to the conclusion that there are only 600 of us left who still cheer for the Blue and White...

And then I wrote this. With a little help from Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

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Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Leaf Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

2.

"Forward, the Leaf Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

3.

Bruin to the right of them,
Sabre to the left of them,
Hab in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

4.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Yankee and Quebecois
Reel'd from the sabre stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

5.

Bruin to the right of them,
Sabre to the left of them,
Hab in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

6.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Leaf Brigade,
Noble six hundred.

7 comments:

  1. I guess you could call it, in some odd way, the perseverance of the "aints." ;)

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  2. One cannot resist the effectual call!

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  3. One is left to feel sorry for their TOTAL INABILITY.

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  4. Well played, Dan!

    I like the Leafs. They make me feel better about my Oilers. Suddenly 1 game under 500 isn't so bad.

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  5. You butchered my favourite poem. And for the Leafs. How could you!

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  6. The Leafs that I love:
    Total inability
    Unconditional dejection
    Limited achievement
    Irrisistible attraction
    Perseverance of the faint

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  7. "Half a leaf, half a leaf,
    Half a leaf onward . . . "

    . . . I believe it should read.

    ReplyDelete

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