Wednesday
My mother, who runs a poetry column for Sewanee’s weekly newspaper, is sharing A.A. Milne’s “Buckingham Palace” for Inauguration Day and I’m following suit. I’m praying that the inauguration proceeds seamlessly as I post this 36 hours before the actual event.
The poem’s humor lies in the contrast between what sounds like a momentous occasion and the incidental concerns of a child. The actual changing of the guard is somewhat boring, which is why we find Alice catering to a four-year-old’s stream of consciousness.
May our own inauguration be similarly incident free.
They’re changing guard at Buckingham Palace –
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
Alice is marrying one of the guard.
“A soldier’s life is terrible hard,”
Says Alice.
They’re changing guard at Buckingham Palace –
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
We saw a guard in a sentry-box.
“One of the sergeants looks after their socks,”
Says Alice.
They’re changing guard at Buckingham Palace –
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
We looked for the King, but he never came.
“Well, God take care of him, all the same,”
Says Alice.
They’re changing guard at Buckingham Palace –
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
They’ve great big parties inside the grounds.
“I wouldn’t be King for a hundred pounds,”
Says Alice.
They’re changing guard at Buckingham Palace –
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
A face looked out, but it wasn’t the King’s.
“He’s much too busy a-signing things,”
Says Alice.
They’re changing guard at Buckingham Palace –
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
“Do you think the King knows all about me?”
“Sure to, dear, but it’s time for tea,”
Says Alice.