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The Fighting Pacifist of AustraliaJun 27 '02 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Is it the poem or the meaning that makes a work of art? I'm hoping for the latter... To call me an amateur poet would be a stretch and I know it, but I have put pen to paper in rhyming fashion in spite of my inabilities. I found courage to take such chances from the examples of various people throughout my life. One of those who recently showed me a thing or two about courage and strength is one of our own Epinionators. But more than courage, this “bloke” showed us all how to be fearless while still maintaining a generous spirit and positive outlook. I’m not normally one to bring such things to the surface, but in this case, I feel that it’s warranted. If you haven’t figured out whom I’m speaking of, I will give you two hints then move along. 1) He recently wrote a wonderful homage to one of the best people in the Epinions world, granniemose. 2) I tried desperately to fit “fair dinkum” into this poem, but I could only rhyme it with “pear stinkum.” So, without further ado, here is a poem written for a friend I’ve never met… The Fighting Pacifist A pugilist of astounding fame Was an Aussie man named Smith When in the ring this feared bloke came You saw a living myth His chin was carved of solid stone His hands were both steel made He often stood center ring alone For few opponents ever stayed. Yet Smith was not a violent bloke His strength aimed not toward man He’d raise his eyebrow when he spoke And fought to make a stand Ol’ Smith stood by his mates and theirs And with wits outclassed his foes And when it came to his own cares He laughed heartily at his woes He raised his voice to heaven’s height To sing praises of his friends Yet shied from even tribute slight And was quick to make amends This Outback man can be found these days Imparting ample lore Of a land Down Under where he plays And where desert meets the shore You’ll find him pickin’ at his toes Spinning fantastic homespun tales Inspiring jealous Eskimos To check for airline fares For his versions of his place of birth Are hard for us to abide But to meet this man it would sure be worth A visit to Smith’s Woodside Peter, I thank you for your friendship and hope I made you smile. For those of you familiar with Peter, you know why I’d write this. For those of you who don’t know him, get to Smithswoodside now and read his awesome reviews on Australia and life. He’s a vast talent and a witty, fun loving guy who makes this site a better place…. - Eskimo  |
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