Evening all. Happy, happy Christmas to you all. Apologies for the poemy Pips of late. But I rather like this one some parts seemed apt, others dated. This Pips features a desk clock – yes, the Small Wall Clock on a stand!
Another Year, Good Housekeeping, January, 1896, “Time cuts down all, both great and small, and fruit when ripe is sure to fall”.
Another year of labor and recompense has birth,
Another year of living, and all that life is worth,
Another year of hopes and fears, with many unfulfilled,
Another year of beating hearts that will ere its close be stilled.
Another year of mortal birth, of marrying and death,
Another year of error’s ways, of sadly wasted breath,
Another year of noble deeds, of welcome words and ways,
Another year of pain and plaint, of songs and hymns of praise.
Another year of progress, of preaching, and of prayer,
Another year of politics, brazen, bold and bare,
Another year of mountebanks, of ridicule and show,
Another year of “Gallagher,” and bids to “let him go.”
Another year of sharp finance, and of feeble financiers,
Another year of scientists, and scientific sneers.
Another year of journalistic wit and wisdom brains,
Another year of rolling out their tongues and taking pains.”
Another year of folderol, and funny-man nonsense,
Another year of pictures bold, and literary pretense,
Another year of scribbler’s itch taking on pretentious airs,
Another year of the “new woman” coming down the stairs.
Another year of the man who waits, and wilts, and weeps,
Another year of the other one who never stops nor sleeps,
Another year of blatent bores, who boast of brains and brawn,
Another year of darkened souls, longing for the “dawn.”
Another year of faithlessness, of fraud and froth and folly,
Another year of merriment, of mirth and being jolly,
Another year of gloom and grief, of sorrow, and the sad,
Another year of goodness, of glory, and the glad.
Another year of cycle wheels, with motorcycles coming,
Another year of jokes about rich plumbers and bad plumbing,
Another year of “witty” mother-in-law recital,
Another year of stealing brains without making a requital.
Another year of electrical trolley rails and lightings,
Another year of international rights, and wrongs, and writings,
Another year of fancy foreign fun and interference,
Another year of racing yachts, with talks of fouls in clearance,
Another year of tennis, golf, horse-racing and baseballs,
Another year of finding out the curse of “puts and calls,”
Another year of “corners” close in oil, in wheat and flour,
Another year of patent ways for making fortunes in an hour.
Another year of waiting for what it finds and brings,
Another year of many unknown and unthought-of things,
Another year of looking for what is not yet here,
Another year of birth, of brief being, and a bier.
Regarding last week’s poem, many of you were right, I expect nothing less from such discerning and cultured souls! It was by Mervyn Peake from the Gormenghast trilogy. Such magic stuff 🙂 I wonder what a ‘Titus’ watch would look like or a ’Steerpike’ or a ‘Flay’?
Right, enough of that! We sell watches with the poems! Here is a nice one…
The Small Wall Clock on its new desk stand! So now a Schofield Small Desk Clock. These will be ready next year – if you are interested as either an add-on or with the clock – let me know and I will put you on a list! there are so few choices of Desk clock that this one really will fit the bill.
A conglomeration of Schofield stuff. All from the shop shelves.
What a year! We have sold out of the Daymark Dark, and the last Daymark is being pitched against a custom steel cased Beater as we speak. The Landmark has sold out. The B3 is coming to an end, the B4 already sold out. The Treasure watches have done really well with about 5 left. The Japanese B5, a tricky watch to sell because the colour of the dial is not for everyone, has exceeded my forecast and is likely to have sold out by next summer – depending on politics, brazen, bold and bare!
All the Ladyfingers have gone as have Shed Keys and myriad 24mm straps, many culled from the site. The P-2s and SWCs are steady, Drivers, Almanacs and Torches too. I will divulge more of next year’s plans… next year! So, from me, Happy Christmas and thank you all for another year of waiting for what it finds and brings, another year of many unknown and unthought-of things… G.
