VAGABOND HOUSE

Of course my readers will be familiar with this poem by Don Blanding (1894-1957) “Vagabond House”, but being merely a chimpanzee (apparently “evolving” into a human being,) I wasn’t.

Algy, (my keeper,) has a friend, Robert Firth, with whom he corresponds. Robert lives in Florida, is a retired Airline Captain with 42 years of flying experience. Robert is also a prolific author himself, see his website: http://www.robert-j-firth.com/ Robert sent the poem “Vagabond House” by Don Blanding, written in 1928, to Algy.

Algy enjoys poetry, – rhythmical rollicking verse, that lifts the very spirit of a man. As he savoured the musical imagery yesterday, while enjoying his morning cup of tea, I, too, found that I liked Mr Blanding’s famous poem.

I shall write out the first verse for my readers at the end of my Introduction and see if they also feel its charm. If they do, perhaps I’ll continue it when the weariness of the current political chaos can no longer be borne, and one longs to retreat to another time, when men could wander the globe and delight in the treasures of faraway places.

Gibber! Gibber!

Chugley

Vagabond House

By Don Blanding

When I have a house . . . as I sometime may . . . I’ll suit my fancy in every way.

I’ll fill it with things that have caught my eye

In drifting from Iceland to Molokai.

It won’t be correct or in period style,

But . . . oh, I’ve thought for a long, long while

Of all the corners and all the nooks,

Of all the bookshelves and all the books,

The great big table, the deep soft chairs,

And the Chinese rug at the foot of the stairs

(It’s an old, old rug from far Chow Wan That a Chinese princess once walked upon).