ROGER POOLE

I trained as a teacher (of Maths and Physics) at a Teacher Training College in Saltley, Birmingham. The talents present there were widely ranged among a group of young men who had often done National Service (as I had done) or had come to teaching after having spent several years doing a 'real' job. I didn't ever discover the background of Roger Poole who impressed me with his ability to produce highly original humorous verse at the drop of a hat (or it seemed like that - he may have sweated away for hours at it). Here is one of his:

.. -. /-- --- .-. ... ./
--- ..-./-.-. --- ..- .-. ... ./
- .... .. .../-.... - - -.--/
.- .. -.'-/... ---/.--. .-.. - - -.--/
-- --- .-. ... ./- .... ./.--. .. - -.--/

I'll give you a translation later but meanwhile let's see if anyone 'out there' can crack it. Just jump the Comment hurdle and ... do it.

Meanwhile another Poole classic:

The noble Aristotle
Used to wander round and waffle
While his students with their scrolls
Used to join him in his strolls.
Said Plato, 'Every time I see 'em
Walking round the old Lyceum
Discussing logic or an ethic
It is quite peripathetic.

And finally,

There's too much litter on our beach,
The Mayor of Memph said in his speech.
Let's write in all our tourist and day-tripper books
How literally litoral our litter looks.

I will conclude with one of my own, definitely written under the Poole influence:

HOBOKEN NEWS REPORT

The snow-plough is broken,

Said the mayor of Hoboken.

So light up your stoves and git stuck in to stokin’

 (I can offer you shovels, but they’re only a token).

Else the sick and the old will soon start in a croakin’.

So shovel that snow. Your Leader has spoken!

They thought he was foolin – but he meant it – snow jokin’.