HALF an inning, half an inning
Half an inning onward,
All on the asphalt of Nance Bradds Field
Rode Pete and Kev.
'Forward, the hitters!
Charge for extra bases!' he said:
Onto the asphalt of Nance Bradds Field
Rode Pete and Kev.
'Forward, the hitters!'
Was there a spectator dismayed?
Not that the players knew
Some one had blundered, but
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Onto the asphalt of Nance Bradds Field
Rode Pete and Kev.
Fielders to right of them,
Fielders to left of them,
Pitcher in front of them
Overhanded and undered;
Stormed at with bat and pluck
Boldly they played and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode Pete and Kev.
Flashed all their bats bare,
Flashed as they swung in air
Swatting at the mighty strokes
Charging like a storm, while
All the town wondered:
Plunged in the chalky dust
Nineteen runs they gave to
Kurt and Glen
Reeled from the bat-stroke
Shattered and sundered
Others would have gone under
But not Pete and Kev.
Fielders to the right of them,
Fielders to left of them,
Pitcher in front of them
Overhanded and undered;
Stormed at with bat and pluck,
While Pete and Kevin fell,
They that had played so well
Came through the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of Pete and Kev.
When can their glory fade ?
O the futile charge!
All the town wondered.
Honor the charge they made!
Honor the sacrifice laid,
Noble Pete and Kev!
Glen, Kurt - 19
Pete and Kev - 6
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i'm exhausted.
ReplyDeleteReally? Because I thought it was kind of clever the way the Artist adapted Lord Tennyson's Poem, which famously commemorated Lord Cardigan and his Cavalry's futile and disastrous charge against the Russians at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean war. I found it touching the way he chose to honor Pete and Kev by equating them with those ill-fated British soldiers who suffered and died much like Pete and Kev did on the field yesterday.
ReplyDeleteOrdinarily, I wouldn't weigh in on a discussion that involved me, or my work, but in this case I wish to thank the above writer for his erudition and command of historical fact. Few now know (with the obvious exception of my anonymous friend here) that Lord Cardigan, known to his contemporaries as James Brudenell, was not only famous for leading the "light brigade", but was a fierce advocate for a game called "rounders", a precursor to our modern wiffle ball.
ReplyDeleteindeed. he was a cardican, not a cardican't. if only the other player on the loser's side were named kiev.
ReplyDelete