New Poem by Nick Asbury: Diamond Bob

Diamond Bob

We have recognized that banks need to become better citizens

Now there's a man you'll hear about most anywhere you go.

and that our ability to do this is critical
His holdings are in Texas and his name is Diamond Joe.

to generate long term value for shareholders.

And he carries all his money in a diamond-studded jar.
This is not philanthropy

He never took much trouble with the process of the law.

– it’s about using Barclays' unique skills and resources

I hired out to Diamond Joe, boys, did offer him my hand.

to deliver real commercial benefits
He gave me a string of horses so old they could not stand.

in a way that also creates sustainable value for society.

And I nearly starved to death, boys, he did mistreat me so.
We have made firm progress against our Citizenship agenda

And I never saved a dollar in the pay of Diamond Joe.

in 2011, delivering benefits to the real economy.

Now his bread it was corn dodger and his meat you couldn't chaw.
We exceeded our Project Merlin targets by 13%

Nearly drove me crazy with the waggin' of his jaw.

and delivered £44bn to UK business.

And the tellin' of his story mean to let you know

We will continue to do everything we can
there never was a rounder that could lie like Diamond Joe.

to support our customers and clients in 2012.

Now, I tried three times to quit him, but he did argue so

We know we have a responsibility
I'm still punchin' cattle in the pay of Diamond Joe.

to help generate economic growth and create jobs
And when I'm called up yonder and it's my time to go,

– and we are fully committed to playing our part.
give my blankets to my buddies, give the fleas to Diamond Joe.

Source:

Barclays Strategic Report 2011 / Chief Executive’s Review / Citizenship

Diamond Joe, traditional

Comments

IQ AND THE POETS - ARE YOU SMART?

When you open your mouth to speak, are you smart? A funny question from a great song, but also, a good one, when it comes to poets, and poetry. We tend to have a very ambiguous view of intelligence in poetry, one that I'd say is dysfunctional. Basically, it goes like this: once you are safely dead, it no longer matters how smart you were. For instance, Auden was smarter than Yeats , but most would still say Yeats is the finer poet; Eliot is clearly highly intelligent, but how much of Larkin 's work required a high IQ? Meanwhile, poets while alive tend to be celebrated if they are deemed intelligent: Anne Carson, Geoffrey Hill , and Jorie Graham , are all, clearly, very intelligent people, aside from their work as poets. But who reads Marianne Moore now, or Robert Lowell , smart poets? Or, Pound ? How smart could Pound be with his madcap views? Less intelligent poets are often more popular. John Betjeman was not a very smart poet, per se....

Poetry vs. Literature

Poetry is, of course, a part of literature. But, increasingly, over the 20th century, it has become marginalised - and, famously, has less of an audience than "before". I think that, when one considers the sort of criticism levelled against Seamus Heaney and "mainstream poetry", by poet-critics like Jeffrey Side , one ought to see the wider context for poetry in the "Anglo-Saxon" world. This phrase was used by one of the UK's leading literary cultural figures, in a private conversation recently, when they spoke eloquently about the supremacy of "Anglo-Saxon novels" and their impressive command of narrative. My heart sank as I listened, for what became clear to me, in a flash, is that nothing has changed since Victorian England (for some in the literary establishment). Britain (now allied to America) and the English language with its marvellous fiction machine, still rule the waves. I personally find this an uncomfortable position - but when ...

"I have crossed oceans of time to find you..."

In terms of great films about, and of, love, we have Vertigo, In The Mood for Love , and Casablanca , Doctor Zhivago , An Officer and a Gentleman , at the apex; as well as odder, more troubling versions, such as Sophie's Choice and Silence of the Lambs . I think my favourite remains Bram Stoker's Dracula , with the great immortal line "I have crossed oceans of time to find you...".

E Y E W E A R, THE BLOG - FREEDOM MEANS BEING UNAFRAID TO WRITE WHAT YOU THINK

Search This Blog