Sir Richard Branson Poem by Sheena Blackhall

This dyslexic boy left school at fifteen
Now his business is everywhere
His mother predicted
That he would become P.M.
His headmaster, predicted
He'd end up in prison
Or be a millionaire

Aged thirteen he grew Xmas trees for sale
Reared parakeets for selling on as pets
An entrepreneur who never admits regrets

From self confessed Trekkie
To the owner of Virgin Galactic,
As tricksy as Jiminy Cricket
He runs suborbital flights into space
A snip at 250,000dollarsper ticket

His home is Necker Island,
With his Necker Nymph submarine
You can stay one night at a villa
For a mere 27,000 dollars
(The price is not obscene
If you're a celebrity with very deep pockets)
If you were to visit that scene
Your eyes would pop out of their sockets!

He owns a pet tortoise called Brutus
With a shell like a pastry pie
He ran a London marathon
Dressed as a butterfly

His mother, a ballerina
Gave him charisma, flair
His father was a barrister
Gave him brains to climb Life's stair

His motto is Screw it, Let's do it
This man who balloons in the buff

Air travel, music, drinks, phones
Bikes, cosmetics, mail order, drones
At least 400 enterprises
Hire cars, weddings, safari park
He's got the Midas touch
With a business portfolio,
Worthy of Noah's Ark

He bought the gay nightclub Heaven
RunsComics and Animation
On the look out for new opportunities
Toboost with transformation

He's always up for a challenge
He hikes, bikes, kayaks, sails
Has bit parts in famous movies
He probably sings with whales

His Island home was destroyed
When Hurricane Irma hit.
His Island home was damaged
When Hurricane Irene blitzed
But, like his favourite character Peter Pan,
He rises above adversity
Recover, rebuild, refit

His motto is Screw it, Let's do it
This man who balloons in the buff
Success breeds success to the man
To whom one win is never enough