Old John Mort. was a pretty funny sort.
Politically of Left-wing bent
but his adaption of Brideshead Revisited
was faithful to Waugh's intent.
He really hated the noveau-riche
beyond any sort of joke.
But I felt the old landed gentry
were more his kind of folk.
I don't know that he understood Britain
in its present very weird seasons.
He did have a spat with Tony Blair,
but possibly for the wrong reasons.
I think fox-hunting was the cause
of that nasty little spat.
And though I don't quite hunt myself
I warm to him for that.
His politics and life-style
were full of contradictions,
and he altered criminal procedure
in a number of his fictions.
As a Queen's Council he was experienced
on Circuit Court and Quarter sessions
But the plot of one Rumpole case presumed
the admissability of induced confessions.
Barristers are meant to be eloquent
Or at least so I am told.
Yet something about Rumpole seemed
manufactured, artificial and cold -
As if Mortimer in his chambers
ticked all the boxes to make
a lovable, cuddly character,
but something didn't quite take.
I ought to have warmed to Rumpole,
with a Pomerory's wine-bar glow
and yet he remains somehow unlike
the real barristers I know.
I heard Mortimer at a Bar Dinner once,
And of course he spoke pretty well.
But finding rhymes for this particular verse
Is difficult as hell.
A contest entry
- John Mortimer by cricketjeff.
1500 points, ended February 10, 2009, 6 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 6 of 6
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I think John Mortimer would have liked this, you have had fun with him and I get the impression he was determined to enjoy his life, he certainly threw a lot into everything he did!
Thanks very much for the entry.
Jeff
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Wonderful Aries
I am also a 'fan' of Rumpole & John Mortimer.He wrote
that he looked for character to his detective he found very near at hand!!.He thought of all the old defenders in criminal trials he had known .They called
harrened robers etc.'old darling' as well as their wives 'old darling' Terrific write -
Wonderful Aries
I am also a 'fan' of Rumpole & John Mortimer.He wrote
that he looked for character to his detective he found very near at hand!!.He thought of all the old defenders in criminal trials he had known .They called
harrened robers etc.'old darling' as well as their wives 'old darling' Terrific write
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Rumpole had the dry wit i love, nothing nicer than an ugly cumudgeonly old gent.John Mortimer was a milder version of Rumpole, capable of great charm but able to bite when provoked.
A good observation here
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Dear Barb, thank you for your comment, and good to hear from you! I am perhaps a bit hypercritival of rumploe because i'm a barrister myself. He ain't quite real, you know.
WQot about entering my contest on "Corpse bride" if you've seen the film? I've only got 2 entries so far!
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Wonderfully written with warm humor and affection for a fascinating man who had his own brand of charm. 
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