Thursday, 1 October 2020

National Poetry Day

The Land of Counterpane
by Robert Louis Stevenson

When I was sick and lay a-bed, 
I had two pillows at my head, 
And all my toys beside me lay, 
To keep me happy all the day. 

And sometimes for an hour or so 
I watched my leaden soldiers go, 
With different uniforms and drills, 
Among the bed-clothes, through the hills; 

And sometimes sent my ships in fleets 
All up and down among the sheets; 
Or brought my trees and houses out, 
And planted cities all about. 

I was the giant great and still 
That sits upon the pillow-hill, 
And sees before him, dale and plain, 
The pleasant land of counterpane.



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11 comments:

  1. Maudlin Jack Tar1 October 2020 at 19:54

    Sweet, reminds me of being at school.
    Here's a fine poem - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/44212/the-love-song-of-j-alfred-prufrock

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  2. Delta Coy1 October 2020 at 22:28

    One of my favourite poems. It always reminds me of when I was in bed with measles and my Granny bought me a box of Airfix Union Infantry. That's where it all began for me.

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  3. david in suffolk2 October 2020 at 07:22

    Very nice, thanks, and Where many of us began, I suspect! Could this be the only poem ever published about our hobby?

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    1. Mark, Man of TIN2 October 2020 at 08:21

      I have found a few toy soldier poems and one wargaming one besides what is in RLS A Child's Garden of Verses:
      Block City
      https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/13/block-city-rls-and-

      The Dumb Soldier https://poundstoreplasticwarriors.wordpress.com/2018/02/17/more-dumb-soldiers-in-the-garden/

      A Martial Elegy
      https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/07/rls-martial-elegy-for-some-lead-soldiers/

      Here is a wargaming comic one by performance poet Elvis Macgonagall

      https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/03/soldiering-on-wargames-poem-by-elvis-mcgonagall-2007/

      Poor Old Toy Soldiers Home
      https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/24/a-poor-old-toy-soldiers-home/

      Zinnfiguren
      https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/01/zinnfiguren-poem-by-joachim-ringelnatz/

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    2. tradgardmastare4 October 2020 at 09:33

      Surprising amount indeed.

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  4. The Good Soldier Svjek2 October 2020 at 08:01

    Thanks for reminding me about this poem .

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  5. Mark, Man of TIN2 October 2020 at 08:28

    I do like this poem too and the range of illustrations of this poem with toy soldiers not you can find for it on Pinterest etc
    https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/12/the-land-of-counterpane/

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    Replies
    1. tradgardmastare4 October 2020 at 09:34

      Loads of great illustrations fo it out there indeed.

      Delete

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