OK, read a couple or three poems, some of you
may be familiar with, but I think
it might be a nice change from that previous accent.
The first one is "Naming of Parts" by Henry Reed.
I'm sure it's one that most of you know.
"Today, we have naming of parts.
Yesterday we had daily cleaning.
And tomorrow morning we shall have what to do after firing.
But today, today we have naming of parts.
Japonica glistens like coral and all of the neighboring gardens,
and today we have naming of parts."
This is a poem by the way that if you don't know,
it involves a sergeant-- a drill sergeant
instructing, and recruit, listening, and thinking.
"This is the lower sling swivel.
And this is the upper sling swivel,
whose use you will see when you are given your slings.
And this is the piling swivel, which in your case
you have not got.
The branches hold in the gardens their silent, eloquent
gestures, which in our case, we have not got.
This is the safety catch which is always
released with an easy flick of the thumb.
And please do not let me see anyone using his finger.
You can do it quite easy if you have
any strength in your thumb.
The blossoms are fragile and motionless,
never letting anyone see any of them using their finger.
And this you can see is the bolt.
The purpose of this is to open the breech as you see.
We can slide it rapidly backwards and forwards--
we call this easing the spring.
And rapidly backwards and forwards,
the early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers,
they call it easing the spring.
They call it easing the spring--
it is perfectly easy if you have any strength
in your thumb like the bolt, and the breech,
and the cocking piece, and the point of balance,
which in our case, we have not got.
And the almond blossom silent and all of the gardens,
and the bees going backwards and forwards, for today,
we have naming of parts."