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Dear Tom,
I reckon I'm the first poster on this forum to change the title of a poetry offering. Well, here goes: from now on the poem at the top of this thread is called Duco, Ducis, Ducit .
This is shameful, but I suspected as much: it's been so long to recall the difference between the first and second conjugation of the active singular present tense of such a regular verb as ducere.
I feel a punishment exercise coming on.
Andrew.

Dear Andrew,

I believe ducere (duco, duxi, ductum) is 3rd conjugation. But I never understood why they're numbered at all. Descriptive names are much more helpful...

Cheers
tom

"Duco, Ducis, Ducit" was published in today's " Herald", September 19th.
It's the "Poem of the Day".
Happy?...you bet!
Andrew.

Andrew McGeever wrote:"Duco, Ducis, Ducit" was published in today's " Herald", September 19th.
It's the "Poem of the Day".
Happy?...you bet!
Andrew.

Congrats, Andrew!

Am I happy with it? ...you bet!!

Cheers
tom

I forgot: the final version, sent to the Herald, has Tom and Laurie's editing/criticism.

Duco, Ducis, Ducit.


In my school, every classics pupil scrawled
on their vocabulary jotter, Latin is
a dead language; as dead as dead can be.
Latin killed the Romans, and now
it's killing me. We never questioned
those sentiments; thought only of ruffling
Mr. Dawson, our Latin master.

Salvete discipuli! he'd announce
with a swish of his gown, the tawse
just visible on his shoulder. Salve
magister!, we chanted in reply.
Declensions and conjugations were boot-camps
of discipline: ye gods, he drummed it in.

Yet he unveiled the ancient world to sons
and daughters of miners, lit a lamp,
armed us with knowledge of the language we speak:
lines to write on the jotter of his life.

Congrats. Nicely done.

Arr! the published bard of the Burgh. Our herald in troubled times.


All times have troubles. Our's are just significant to us.

Latin, old and new, but never dead. Troubles old and new, but seldom read. If only our masters mastered the old to understand the new.

Andrew knows what I mean.

Even though we've not communicated, Andrew, I am so very glad that your poem was published as 'Poem of the Day' no less. Congrats!

Linda.

Hi Andrew ~

Congratulations on your, still another , publication ! You got it goin' on there, guy ! I love the poem's message ~ and am still kicking myself for not taking Latin when I had the chance.....little did I know! It should've been a mandatory class.

~ Lizzy

lizzytysh wrote:Hi Andrew ~

It should've been a mandatory class.

~ Lizzy

mandatu by order

Who said it was a dead language?

Thanks for the warm replies: this poem has further destinations.
The most important omission, that's why I'm posting, was the dedication to Derek Dawson, my Latin teacher. Yes, the published version was dedicated to him: his name was under the title.
Andrew.

Lovely that it went to him, Andrew .

And, Mr. Mandatu by Order, guess who did take the class [show-off ].

Dear mssss Florida Babe, I didn't take the class coz I wus too thick and they wouldn't let me in so I stayed outside and picked me mates and me nose.....so there!!!!

However, dear lady, I did scrounge 'Langenscheidt's Latin - English Dictionary' from a cousin wot I no longer get on wiv, coz he's a pillock.

Congrats Andrew~~~on yet another Honor of bein' honored. Much deserved...and like birthdays, may many more come your way.

ciao,
Laurie

WEll, surprize ME, mate! Is that coveted book available online? I'm sure the mates are no longer available fer me.

Do we owe "pillock" to the Brits or the 'Latin'/s ? It sounds scourging enough, but what exactly does it mean?