On Thanksgiving
Of all events parading through the year
Not one can to this humble feast compare.
To feel or offer thanks today is rare
However well our lives remain in gear.
As ease became the norm, we soon forgot
None of Plymouth’s Pilgrims felt regret.
Knowing death and cruel privation’s threat
Spoiled not their faith, or made them curse their lot.
Given much yet now we seem to crave
Immeasurable bounty we don’t need
Voluptuous excess revealing Greed
Indifference to the noble, fine and brave.
No pilgrim, pioneer or great tycoon*
Grew up as a self-indulgent goon.
~ FreeThinke - 11/24/11
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| The First Thanksgiving - John Leon Jerome Ferris (1863-1930) |
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*Tycoon
1. A wealthy and powerful businessperson or industrialist; a magnate.
2. Used formerly as a title for a Japanese shogun.
ETYMOLOGY:
Japanese taikun, title of a shogun, of Chinese origin
WORD HISTORY:
Claims have been made in today's global economy that some business leaders have more power than heads of states. It is etymologically fitting that such leaders are sometimes called tycoons. Tycoon came into English from Japanese, which had borrowed the title, meaning "great prince," from Chinese. Use of the word was intended to make the shogun, the commander in chief of the Japanese army, more impressive to foreigners (his official title shogun merely meant "general"). It worked with Matthew C. Perry, who opened Japan to the West in 1854; Perry carried out his negotiations with the shogun, thinking him to be the emperor. In fact, the shogun did rule Japan, although he was supposedly acting for the emperor. The shogun's title, taikun, was brought back to the United States after Perry's visit. Abraham Lincoln's cabinet members used tycoon as an affectionate nickname for the President. The word soon came to be used for business and industry leaders at times being applied to figures like J. P. Morgan, who may indeed have wielded more power than many princes and presidents.
~ Merriam Webster, 11th edition. online text
Nice poem, and thanks for the word history on tycoon. I never knew that.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Silver. When I use an unusual word in an unexpected context, I always try to research it, so I'm sure I really know what I'm talking about. ;-)
DeleteThe origins of the word TYCOON were known to me also till I looked it up.
East may be east and west may be west, as Kipling said, but occasionally they DO meet and blend harmoniously in our remarkable, acquisitive, ever-expanding English vocabulary.
THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS
ReplyDeleteLife, itself, is a paradox. The moment we are born we begin the journey toward inevitable death.
In my opinion the best thing we could hope to do with the opportunity life affords would be to do everything in our power to make it an enjoyable experience for ourselves while being as kind and generous as possible to those less fortunate than we.
Don't grumble.
Don't pick at scabs.
Don't look for reasons to find fault.
Always give the benefit pf the doubt.
Accept adversity, and try to profit from it.
Count your blessings.
Trust God, and be grateful for the Gift of Life –– no matter what.
H_A_P_P_Y ... T_H_A_N_K_S_G_I_V_I_N_G_!
Oscar Grabacrouch said
ReplyDeleteTop of the afternoon to ya laddie, and a Fine and Bountiful Thanksgiving too!
And the sme to you, Oscar.
DeleteHave a great day Franco. No evil in the world today.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kid!
DeleteEvil comes most often to those who THINK evil, DWELL on evil, and habitually express hostility and nothing else.
That would never be you, Kid, so God bless you, and everyone close to you. I hope you had a good time yesterday.
Did you cook a turkey just for all those cats? I wouln't put it past you. ;-)
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Giuseppe, but this blog was only about THANKSGIVING –– nthing else.
DeleteAnd we generally try to avid making derogatory remarks about other bloggers, becase it promotes an unhealthy, unproductive atmosphere.
I hope you had a good Thanksgiving celebration yesterday?
That’s true!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteWe don't accept SPAM, and we don't accept BOILERPLATE. We only want to see comments related to the subject of the featured blog post.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAlas! ANOTHER jerk who either cannot read or refuses to undeestand that we rigorously maintain very specific STANDARDS here.
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