John Denver - The Box, Kendrew Lascelles

[Puma]

Given the current situation in this country and the world, I was
reminded of this poem that John Denver recorded.

The Box
Words by Kendrew Lascelles
from John Denver - Poems, Prayers and Promises (1971)

"Once upon a time in the land of hush-a-bye,
around about the wondrous days of yore,
They came across a sort of box
Bound up with chains and locked with locks
And labeled, 'Kindly do not touch, it's war.'

A decree was issued 'round about --
All with a flourish and a shout
And a gaily coloured mascot
Tripping lightly on before --
'Don't fiddle with that deadly box
or break the chains or pick the locks
And please don't ever mess about with war.'

Well the children understood,
Children happen to be good
And were just as good around the time of yore.
They didn't try to pick the locks
Or break into that deadly box
And never tried to play about with war.

Mommies didn't either
Sisters, Aunts nor Grannies neither
'Cos they were quiet and sweet and pretty
In those wondrous days of yore,
Well very much the same as now
And not the ones to blame somehow
For opening up that deadly box of war,
But someone did...

Someone battered in the lid
And spilled the insides out across the floor,
A sort of bouncy bumpy ball
made up of flags and guns and all
The tears and the horror and the death
That goes with war.

It bounced right out
And went bashing all about
And bumping into everything in store
And what is sad and most unfair
was that it didn't really seem to care
Much who it bumped, or why,
Or what, or for.

It bumped the children mainly
And I'll tell you this quite plainly,
It bumps them everyday and more and more
And leaves them dead and burned and dying
Thousands of them sick and crying,
'Cos when it bumps it's very, very sore.

There is a way to stop the ball,
It isn't very hard at all,
All it takes is wisdom
And I'm absolutely sure
We could get it back into the box
And bind the chains and lock the locks
But no one seems to want to save the children anymore.

Well that's the way it all appears
'Cos it's been bouncing around for years and years
In spite of all the wisdom wizzed
Since those wondrous days of yore,
And the time they came across that box
Bound up with chains and locked with locks
And labeled, 'Kindly do not touch, it's war.'"

----
Rick
For email, replace .moc with .com

[Pamela Beasley]

Here is another gem from John,,,,,,and he wrote this one

"THE PEACE POEM"

There's a name for war and killing,
There's a name for giving in
When you know another answer
For me the name is sin
But there's still time to turn around
And make all hatred cease
And give another name to living
And we could call it peace.
And peace would be the road we walk
Each step along the way
And peace would be the way we work
And peace the way we play.
And in all we see that's different
And in all the things we know
Peace would be the way we look
And peace the way we grow.
There's a name for separation
There's a name for first and last
When it's all of us or nothing
For me the name is past
But there still is time to turn around
And make all hatred cease
And give a name to all the future
And we could call it peace.
And if peace is what we pray for
And peace is what we give
Then peace will be the way we are
And peace the way we live.
Yes there still is time to turn around
And make all hatred cease,
Let's give another name to living
And we can call it peace.

[aerie]

Just wanted to add, Rick, that this recording is available on John's "Poems,
Prayers and Promises" album, released in 1971 (this' the album with Country
Roads on it too).

Ann

Puma wrote in message <3BA620...@hotmail.moc>...

[Puma]

Thanks. PPP is one of my favorite Denver albums and songs. I guess I
did not do a good job referencing it, but if you look at the beginning
of my message you will see I stated "from John Denver - Poems, Prayers
and Promises (1971)."

Rick

aerie wrote:
>
> Just wanted to add, Rick, that this recording is available on John's "Poems,
> Prayers and Promises" album, released in 1971 (this' the album with Country
> Roads on it too).
>
> Ann
>
> Puma wrote in message <3BA620...@hotmail.moc>...
> >Given the current situation in this country and the world, I was
> >reminded of this poem that John Denver recorded.
> >
> >The Box
> >Words by Kendrew Lascelles
> >from John Denver - Poems, Prayers and Promises (1971)
> >
> >"Once upon a time in the land of hush-a-bye,
> >around about the wondrous days of yore,

-snip-

--

[debr...@gmail.com]

The poem THE BOX
It was written by

LASCELLES ABERCROMBIE
born 9/1/1881
died 27/10/1938
He also wrote 13 other poems
this is the poem perfomed by John Denver. Prayer.Poems promises album..

Kendew Lascelles did not write this poem he stole it.......

[debr...@gmail.com]

The Box was not written by
Kendrew Lascelles
It wad written near on 100 years ago
LASCELLES ABERCROMBIE
BORN 9/1/1881-
DIED 27/10/1938
Wrot 13 other poems
Kendrew Lascelles stole this poem got credit that wasnt due.So what else has he stole and said he wrote. A Lying thief he is....

[69ele...@gmail.com]

This poem was written by Linda Wilhelmsen in 1969 while living in Colombia as a missionary.
We have the copy she typed out, on an old clunker type writer, with my niece's drawing on the back! My sis read it to her two children as part of their schooling. She printed out many copies and mailed them to friends and relatives in the states! Our family is blessed with generations of Artists.

[Wendy Engelhardt]

On Saturday, September 1, 2018 at 7:33:00 PM UTC-4, 69ele...@gmail.com wrote:
> This poem was written by Linda Wilhelmsen in 1969 while living in Colombia as a missionary.
> We have the copy she typed out, on an old clunker type writer, with my niece's drawing on the back! My sis read it to her two children as part of their schooling. She printed out many copies and mailed them to friends and relatives in the states! Our family is blessed with generations of Artists.

While researching the author of this poem, two names have come up, both Linda Wilhelmsen (1969) and, more often, Kendrew Lascelles (1971). Does anyone know which is accurate?