Tribute To Spike Poem by Dave Dunn

SPIKE

Spike was a man who laughed and played
The fool and some jazz music too
The goon creator, mad and sane it's said
Could make you smile or make you blue
His many books related when
The army took him and other men
Across the sea to fight a war
Where millions died as we all saw
Shell shocked he ventured home at last
By then the damaged nerves had cast
A shadow on his future health
Was it ever aided by his wealth
With scripting aid from Eric Sykes
He wrote silly plays when we were tykes
I listen still to the funny three
Repeated weekly now by the BBC
Sound effects as made in homes
Harry's squeaks and trilling tones
Masterful creations of Sellers chords
Better had I seen them on the boards
Fifty years from when first made
Still sparkling like fresh lemonade
Manic twists and turns throughout
Charlies favourite show no doubt
Q the series on tv followed then
Sketch and music blended in
Studio lights may not have been
The favoured medium for him
Sat in despair some many times
Hid away from the world and crimes
Tortured by the ills of man
In his head the shots still rang
Peace is harder to achieve than war
Understanding takes effort thats for sure
Spike has found his peace at last
Borne away from all that has passed
Would that peace were here and now
If we could but change the world somehow
Seek to find an end to disputes
Abolish warring at it's roots
Still I wonder how Spike would have been
If muck and bullets he had never seen
Stronger perhaps to face the day
Maybe writing in a different way
I would gladly sacrifice the Goons
For a happier Milligan playing tunes
Music soothing away his blues
A man at ease is what I'd choose

(c) Rhumour
April 15th 2008