Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL, 7

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Antigua and Barbuda.

Two islands. Caribbean Sea.

With so much common history.

The Spanish came. And then the Brits.

Whose presence gave the people fits.

But then in 1981

Came independence. We are one!

And tourists now provide the loot—

And there’s no need to be astute:

The islands thrive; the islands gain

From those who’d once brought naught but pain.

Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL, 6

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Angola.

Anglola. Southwest Africa

Where once the Portuguese

Established a far colony—

And did just what they pleased.

It didn’t—couldn’t—last, of course.

In 1975

It gained its independence, and

Then planned for all to thrive.

It has a lot of resources—

Some precious gems—and oil.

There’s lots of farming there, as well—

They have much fertile soil.

And ocean beaches—splendid views.

So it is no surprise

That Europeans craved the spot—

While greed lit greedy eyes.

Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL, 5

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Andorra.

Andorra—tiny—scrunched between

The larger France, the larger Spain.

A “haven” for investments (green!),

Where dreams of massive millions reign,

A place to take your husband, wife—

A place to ski, do as you please—

And just enjoy your pleasant life

There in the mighty Pyrenees. 

Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL, 4

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Algeria.

In Africa. The north. Much sand.

It is a storied, fabled land.

Where conquerors have made a stand.

Then failed. And left their ruins there.

Sahara’s winds blow everywhere,

Removing, hiding from the air.

And all who came—and all who died?

I think of Shelley, still our guide,

And Ozymandias’ pride.*

*from "Ozymandias," 1818, by Percy Bysshe Shelley:

“My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Around the World in the Good Ship Doggerel, 3

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Albania.

Just sitting there, along the coast,

A little north of Greece.

Albania—with history long

That features war and peace.

It lies there with a gorgeous view—

The Adriatic Sea—

And Alps in the interior—

That’s good enough for me!

It features many castles and

Some archaeological sites.

So it has got the best of much—

The beaches and the heights.

It is a place I wish I’d gone—

But those are many now.

So many things I will not see—

That Time will not allow. 

Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL, 2

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Afghanistan.

Some other –stans we find nearby--

They’re neighbors of Afghanistan.

But “neighbor” doesn’t signify

That they are members of a clan

Or tribe. Or allies. Or the like.

They’re joined by history, you know.

Alliances are like that dike

That boy once saved to stop the flow.

It has its mountains, deserts, too—

Some scenery that’s very stark.

Some history that’s rough, it’s true—

And some of it is very dark.

It has some wolves, hyenas, bears—

A leopard can destroy your day.

But if you really have no cares,

Well, check it out—but do not stray!

For as you walk through scenery,

Admiring all the wonders there,

It’s possible you’ll never see

That wolf, hyena, or that bear …

Until it’s too late.

Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

I’ve reached the end of animals—

And this is my new plan:

To write about all nations, and

The first? Afghanistan.

I’ll charge right through the alphabet—

Yes, right from A to Z.

And several months away from now

I’ll know geography!

“We learn by doing”—so I heard

From teachers all through school,

So I will pull the thread and watch

Much doggerel unspool.

And when it ends, I’m sure I’ll know

Some things I’ve never known.

So let’s go circumnavigate—

I’ll be your chaperone!