Examples

Innovators

Thomas Edison
1847-1931

Some days are more important than others
I worked on the railways from the age of 12
The next year, at a country station, I saw a child on the lines
It was the Stationmasters daughter
I acted quickly and rescued her from an oncoming train
In appreciation, he taught me telegraphy,
It opened up a new world of communication and a career
I was young lad, living away from home
Finding out how to survive in a tough frontier world
I was substantially deaf, so it was good to have a skill
At school I was seen as disruptive, not being able to hear properly
I left school aged 7, and was taught at home till I was 12
Aged 14, I saw the mid USA as a train telegraphy ‘tramp operator’
The people needed tools and techniques
I felt I could provide them, and had a knack of making things work
I loved to take machines to pieces, and create better methods
Electricity fascinated me, and I invented an electric vote recorder
Politicians did not want it, so I focused on commercial projects
In 1869, aged 22, I was in New York with no money and starving
Another day dawned that was to change my life
Downtown in the financial district, looking for work, I helped a guy
I mended his ticker tape machine
He offered me a job at $300 a month
From poverty to prosperity, and a whirlwind life as an inventor
I started with two shops, plus printing and auto telegraphy inventions
I was on the way up in more senses than one
I married Mary Stilwell in 1871, and started a family of three
I raced ahead with my inventions of duplex technology, electric pens
In 1876, I built a research site, and was called the “Wizard of Menlo Park”
Hardly time to sleep, as I invented and learnt about patents
Then another great day, when I said, “Mary had a little lamb”
My voice was replayed on the Phonograph
I had invented a world first
A world of recording had begun, a world of new communication
But the real challenge to me was to change our world for the better
Half the time we lived in darkness, as sunset met the night
We had electricity, but no light bulb filament
I conducted over a thousand experiments,
Another great day finding the magic filament for the light bulb
A new age of electric power and economic improvement
What a revolution in homes, hospitals, factories, offices, schools and life
In 1878, I started Edison Electric Light Co and had to learn quickly
Major contracts to be managed, testing my organizing skills
But I wanted to continue with my inventions
My work mates, “muckers”, as I called them were with me
Each a hero, testing, trialing and trying practical applications
We installed electric light in major cities, taking the work to England
In 1883, we established T Edison Construction Inc
Then a major blow in 1884 that my success could not solve
A day that changed my life when my wife died from typhus
I had three children, and a colossal business to manage
I was stretched me to the limit, and needed a partner
Aged 38, I was fortunate to meet and marry Mina Miller aged 22
We had 3 children; I saw little of them with my workaholic life
In 1892, I founded the General Electric Company, GE as it is now
I then formed National Phonographic Company in 1896
The world was opening its secrets, like X rays, which I worked on
The pace of invention, development and commercialization was incredible
On average, I registered one patent every ten days, and 1093 in total
By 1913, another great day, when I added sound to “movie” films
I combined applied research with commercial organization
I had a whirlwind life based on my insatiable curiosity
People asked me how I did it
I said that success is “1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”
Given my background, learning by doing was the only way
The action I registered in my 3400 diary entries
Learning by recording my thoughts and processes
Outlining how my ‘muckers’ and me changed this World for the better.

12.3/25.11.2003

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Louis Pasteur
1822-1895

At first, I could not see the beasts
Not surprising as others had not seen them
Even though they had been attacked by them
For the beasts are ruthless killers
I therefore became a hunter
My aim to find and eliminate the murdering beasts
Via my microscope, I saw a multitude of micro-organisms
Dangerous invaders carrying death to people,
Secretly, silently and surely
A major battle came at the Bigo French wine distillery
The wine was contaminated in fermentation by the beasts
Specific germs spreading, not spontaneous generation
Could such germs infect people with contagious diseases?
I saw many people die from unexplained causes
I had to find an answer
I said let the beasts work for us, rather than against us?
I reduced their toxicity and vaccinated people
The historic day was July 6th, 1885
Joseph Meister was bitten by a rabid dog,
I innoculated him with a rabies vaccine
A live or die experiment, some would question
Joseph lived, and the case became a cause celebre
There were other discoveries in the battle against the beasts
From Dr Semelweiss, who most ignored, I learned of antisepsis
Simple cleanliness in surgery, and nursing, slows the beasts
At Arbois, I proved they die at temperatures above 55 C degrees
Pasteurization they called it, and milk and wine drinkers rejoiced
But the beasts are everywhere
They like dark, damp and dank hiding places
Everyday we fight the biggest battles against these beasts
They are the biggest army in history
Between 1877 to 1877, I found more of them
Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Pneumococcus
Deadly as the rabies, anthrax, chicken cholera, gangrene beasts
Vaccination and inoculation, before and after infection,
These are just two weapons
But the beasts will strike back
We require continual research to track their movements
We need more “sacred domains called laboratories”
Centres of excellence for microbiology, bacteriology,
Places to focus also on immunology, and molecular biology
Plus my original work on stereochemistry
These are the “Temples of the future” for humanity
“To grow, strengthen and improve”
France honoured me by establishing the Pasteur Institute
To further scientific experimentation against the beasts
For our world is their world, and we need to be masters
In other such temples, “humanity will learn to read progress”
Finding and using microbes for “harmony in the works of nature”.

4.3/25.11.2003.

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George Stephenson
1781 - 1848

They say I changed history
From the four legged horse to the iron rails horse
I was an unlikely contender for fame
Born in 1781, into a farming family, I had little education
I herded the cows, and worked in the fields
But I always liked playing with equipment
At the age of 14, I began work at the Dewley Colliery
Lots of machines, and much danger, but also opportunity
I could not read, or write,
But, I had many ideas on how to improve the machinery
So, I took reading and writing lessons,
Machines and me seem to be made for each other
I mended clocks and watches as a hobby
Also, I worked on a safety lamp to cut accidents
However, my main interests were engines and locomotives
I learned from Trevithick what could be done with steam
By 1814, I had designed and built the “Blucher”
Taking 30 tons up hill at 4 miles an hour,
The beginning of a great adventure
So much to do, but where to find the money to do it
Edward Pearse asked me to be his Chief Engineer
I created “Puffing Billy” and prepared 15 miles of track
Within four years, we had the Stockton to Darlington Railway
“Locomotion” was the train name for haulage
“Experiment” the name for the passenger version
The first commercial railway in the world
Others then wanted railways, and I worked on most of them
Bolton to Leigh in 2 hours over 9 miles was a triumph
It provided speed and consistency of service
Then the competition for 500 pounds at the Rainhill trials
My engine “The Rocket” won against Sans Pariel and Novelty
In September 1830, the Liverpool to Manchester line began
Tragically, Mr. Huskisson, MP, was hit by The Rocket and died
He was talking on the line and did not see the train
It did not stop the building of more railways
The benefits of rail over horses and canal boats were now clear
I built more lines in Birmingham, York, and Sheffield
Suddenly a farmer’s lad from the village was the toast of the town
From poverty to riches
I invested in coalmines, ironworks, quarries and farming
A life of active practical hands on learning
The Rocket led to the opening up of the Americas and Europe
The wheels of fortune, not only for me but for millions
Pushing the Industrial Revolution fast forward to all towns
The transport system for people, food, products
Improving communications and linking communities
Raising everyone’s standard of life.

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Florence Nightingale
1820-1910

I said no to the proposals for marriage that I received
I knew my destiny lay with other men
At the age of 17, I felt strongly that my role in life was to help others
I wanted to help heal the sick and reduce their suffering
To assist others in a practical way
I had learned Latin, Greek, German, French and Italian
But I wanted to help with my hands and mind
In 1851, I went to Germany, against parental advice,
I trained as a nurse
At that time, nursing, was seen as a menial job of little importance
I was amazed by the lack of support for patients
Doctors had little concern for post operative care
Surgery often caused more problems than it cured
On returning to London, I heard of the Crimea War atrocities
I knew that I must assist our injured men at the front
I volunteered, and with 38 other female nurses went to Turkey
At Scutari, I witnessed the appalling conditions of the wounded
Many dying unnecessarily for the want of attention
Typhus, cholera, dysentery and gangrene added to the injuries of battle
Military doctors, who scorned our arrival, made our work more difficult
I tied to inroduce basic nursing standards
Such as washing wounds and hygiene reduced infection
Dr Semmelweis in Vienna was also fighting such ignorance
It was a battle within the battle
Until this time too many good men died because of neglect
With no antibiotics, there was a limit to our medication
I tried to keep infection at bay, and gather statistics to show results
At that time, the medical world was divided on the cause of infection
The work of Lister, Pasteur and Koch had not arrived
We battled on with belief, if not always the evidence
My volunteers gave of their best, but it was not enough
I returned from the Fields of Hell on Earth,
I vowed more had to be done and pressed for reform
I met Queen Victoria, and other people of influence
I sat on the Sanitary Commission of 1857
I noted the work of Dr Snow, and the prevention of disease
Hygiene and cleanliness in hospitals was my priority
Hard to believe many people ignored it,
So, I introduced statistical records
I also pressed ahead with both politics and education
In 1858, I became President of the Royal Statistical Society
I also wrote two books in 1859 on nursing and hospitals
To improve the work of the profession, I raised 59,000 pounds
In 1860, I opened the Nightingale School of Nursing in London
I also campaigned for women’s rights and career opportunities
With opposition from many
Their view was that “a woman’s place was in the home”
I continued to press for reform, until in 1895 I became blind
But the changes were slow, as we gravitated to another war
When millions died, both on the field and in hospitals
Followed by the Spanish influenza, that killed over 20 million
The lessons of sanitation and nursing care were much needed
Women, in the main, joined the nursing profession
Despite opposition, they began practical professional help
Setting the example for the service you have today
Now women and men tend the sick, handicapped and elderly
Leading by example.

6.4.2002/ 12.12.2003

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Salut

The French kiss
Two for acquaintances, and four for friends
Beaucoup for lovers
The Japanese bow
A little for friends
Forty five degrees for business
Horizontal for power and authority
The British shake hands
Lightly for acquaintances
Tightly for business
Secretly for members
The Thaïs put their hands together
Briefly for neighbours
Highly for those of influence
Formally for ceremonies
These are all significant, but not more so than
High fives for success
Thumbs up or down for success or failure
The warm slap on the back for encouragement
The open palm of “what can I do”
The clenched fist of “I know what to do”
The salute for authority
The wave for friendship
So many ways to talk without words.

2003

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Silly Billy

One day, Amy, Alex and Daniel were at the shops
They saw a person dressed in big wide yellow pants and a red shirt
On the shirt were pictures of various cities
The list included Brisbane, Paris, Moscow, London, New York
On his head, he wore a very large green hat with white feathers
He was riding on a horse, made of wood, that had wheels on it
He took the reins and shouted, “Tally ho, tally ho, away we go,”
The wooden horse shot forward as people made a pathway
“Faster, faster”, he shouted,
“We’ll not win the race if we don’t speed up”
The intrepid three were good runners and ran alongside
When the rider stopped, Daniel asked, “Where are you going?”
“Trying to win the race”, he shouted, out of breath
“Which race are you in?” asked Alex
“My name is Flash, and I am in the Race of Life”
“If you don’t move forward then you move backwards”, he said
“Tell us about your wooden horse”, said Daniel
“His name is Silly Billy”, said Flash, “he helps me go faster”
Where to?” asked Amy
“Anywhere and everywhere”, he said, point at his shirt
“Does Silly Billy know where to go first?” asked Alex
“No, I am his leader, he does what I tell him”, said Flash
“What will you do when you arrive?” asked Amy
“Silly Billy will win the race, and I will become famous”,
“Well”, said Alex, “we must not delay you”
“Tally ho, and faster we will go”, Flash shouted
Off went Silly Billy at speed, under the lash of the whip
“Will Flash know when he gets to the finish?” mused Daniel
“No”, said Amy smiling, “but maybe Silly Billy will tell him”.

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Cheekiness and Chirpiness

Cheekiness and Chirpiness went for a walk one day
On the sun scorched sand, near Wonderland
They flew their kite by the sea
The wind blew it as high as high could be
“Hold on”, said Chirpiness, “it will take us away”
Up they went, soaring like birds on a summer’s day
Flying fast, they soon flew past
Little rascals in sand castles
They rose and rose, above the coves
And marvelled at the ocean blue below
Without really trying, they were flying
But where to they did not know
Said Cheekiness to Chirpiness
“We are birds of a feather, flying together”
“I’m a seagull, and you’re an eagle”
Laughing with delight they reached a great height
“What fun”, said Chirpiness, “lets go nearer the sun”
And the more they flew the better the view
Cheekiness asked, as they went higher,
“Chirpiness, are you a Frequent Flyer?”
“No”, he said”, where are we’re going to?”
Just then a bird flew by
It’s eyes popped out of its head
With a squawk in his talk, he said
“What are you two doing up here?”
Chirpiness replied, “We’ve come to see you my dear”
So they sailed on, till the sun had gone
And the light of the moon shone above
As the night grew cold, they got less bold
So Chirpiness asked, “How shall we get home?”
Cheekiness, replied “I’ll got my mobile phone”
“I’ll ring Harry Potter, and ask him to give us a hand”
So Cheekiness rang Hogwart’s School
“Hi Harry, could you tell us how to land?”
Suddenly, by magic, the wind died down
And below them there was sand
Fireworks, like sparkling stars, lit the sky
Thanks to Harry P, that great magic guy
Cheekiness and Chirpiness landed on the shore
From the crowd, came a rush and a roar
“Welcome home”, they shouted, “Tell us what you saw
And can we join your next Magic Kite Tour?”

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Days That Changed The World

In December 1941, German bombs were raining down on Britain
Dark days and nights in smouldering ruins that were homes
Mums defended their children,
Dads and young lads defended the country
The Germans had started another world war
Already Nazis occupied France, Belgium,
Holland, Greece, Poland and Czechoslovakia
All defeated and devastated
With their dead and dying deep in fields and cities
Our protection, British and Commonwealth troops
And twenty miles of the English Channel
Guarded by the Battle of Britain pilots and planes
A thin line between the murderous Hun and us
What hope had we in those dark hours
America standing on the sidelines,
Russia in a pact with Germany
Then two miracles of misguided management
The German attacked the Russians on June 22nd 1941,
Six months of bitter fighting till the 5th December
The German army was eight kilometres from Moscow
Miracle one
That night the temperature fell to minus 46 degrees centigrade
Germans froze to death in their boots
Their war machines iced over
On the 6th December, they retreated
The Red Army began its victorious war march to Berlin
Miracle two
The Japanese committed hari kari against the USA
The Japanese attacked the USA on the 7th December,
Kamikaze pilots set alight their Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbour
The USA awoke and joined the 2nd World War
Out of the flames of horror, killing so many, came resolve
On the 8th December, USA declared war on Japan
On the 13th December, Germany declared war on the USA
No longer were the British and Commonwealth troops fighting alone
From the west came the Stars and Stripes and GI troops
From the east came the Red Flag communist forces
Battle after battle, capitalists and communists
Fighting a common enemy
Germans squeezed and stretched,
Fighting on two fronts at the same time
Retreating, burning, pillaging, murdering
Millions sent to the gas chambers in the concentration camps
Still destroying lives through wanton bombing
But retreating, losing ground, losing the will and the way
Long days and nights of frightening fighting and killing
6th June, 1994
The heroic D Day Allied landings in Normandy succeed
Many allied heroes and heroines paid the ultimate price
Giving their life to save others
Brave men and women in the front line
Against the madness of no surrender
Hand to hand, street to street fighting
Until another three historic days
Berlin, 21st, April 1945,
The Russians win the last blood soaked street battles
Torgau, 25th April 1945,
The Allies and Russians meet to defeat the Germans
Berlin, April 30th, 1945
Hitler cheats the gallows, committing suicide
May 7th 1945
Germany is forced to unconditional surrender
In Japan, there was no surrender
Retribution for Pearl Harbour began
USA, 16th July 1945
Atom bombs tested
Japan, 9th August, 1945
People in Hiroshima and Nagasaki pay the ultimate price
An Armageddon hell fire furnace
Finishing what was started with those kamikaze raids
2nd of September 1945,
Japan surrender unconditionally
Ending years of savage slaughter
From those days of December 6th and 7th, 1941
Turning points in history
Days that changed the world.

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Torgau

Not a name that comes immediately to the lips
Not a place on the map for world events
A sleepy small town on the River Elbe, with a giant castle
Almost magic land, in a quiet sort of way
The river flows peacefully by
But here one of the worlds greatest battles was fought
On April 25th 1945, the Soviet Army fighting from the east
The American and Allied troops fighting from the west
Cornering and triumphing over the criminal Nazi war machine
Conquering the Germans on German soil
Bringing and end to the 2nd World War
At the cost of hundreds of thousands who died in the battles
And the millions of dead in the concentration camps
Inhumanity on a colossal scale
Remembered by a solitary memorial that reads

Here on the Elbe on 25th April 1945
the forces of the 10th Ukrainian Front of the Red Army
linked up with American Forces

On the other side of the memorial a message
From those who came to be the occupiers of this land
For the next 50 years and more

Glory to the victorious Red Army
And our heroic Allies having triumphed over Fascist Germany

May there never have to be another such meeting

Following a visit in 2001.

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St Mere Eglise

Time has passed it by
A small village touched each thousand years
The Romans en route to England
William the Conqueror recruiting farm workers as troops
The German murderers in 1940
Then the 5th June 1944
Out of the sky they came
Liberators all the way from the USA
The first French village to be freed in the 2nd World War
Parachutists with guns, gliding through the dim light of dawn
Taking and holding the village against the German siege
Waiting for reinforcements from the beach landing that did not come
Half the ammunition and resources had gone, and time running out
Five brave men volunteered to go through the German lines
They found the USA infantry near the beach
Guiding them to relieve the siege of St Mere Eglise
Riding their return on tanks
Attacking the Germans
Bodies in the fields
Dancing in the bars
Prayers in the Church
Where John Steel, of the 505th Parachute Infantry, landed on the roof
Clinging to a spire
Surviving the battle by pretending to be dead
And now, over 50 years later, a replica is there
The village restored, the Church now the centre of a car park
That is also a market, a meeting place, and a memorial
May St Mere Eglise continue for another thousand years
Before it becomes the centre of history once more.

After a visit in August 2003.

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Countries

Estonia

A beautiful name,
More like that of a girl, in her prime, clothed in mystery
For so long, hidden from sight
Occupied by the Danes, the Swedes and the Russians
Before gaining her independence in 1918
But the country was then ripped apart by the Nazis in the 2nd World War
Afterwards, dominated by communist Russia, as part of the USSR
Estonian language and customs surpressed from 1945 to 1991
Yet, today, Estonia has come of age with the fall of the Iron Curtain
The people now free to choose the Government of their Republic
Flying the Estonian flag at last, worshipping as they wish
There is dancing and singing in the narrow streets
And the villages, where traditions never died
Celebrating their inheritance, and identity, as Estonians
Proclaiming, after so many years of subservience, their independence
A country larger in size than Denmark, or Sweden
Divided in the past by the loyalties and language
One third of the people are still Russians in exile
Yesterday’s elite, now thinly tolerated
No longer publicly employed without ability in the Estonian language
A simple change, securing the rights of the native speakers
Estonia, a country with just one and a half million people
Most centered around the capital, Tallinn
Where will she go, for the death rate is fifty percent above the birth rate?
What will she achieve now she is member of the World Trade Organization?
Independent at last, but unable to survive alone
Due, in 2004, to join the European Community
Making a choice to be part of the European family
Destiny, for once, in her own hands, perhaps
Or just a lull before the next invasion
Estonia
Shaped by her geographic position between the mighty powers
Trying now to develop a modern identity, beyond the invaders
Still locked between East and West.

© Charles Margerison. 9.12,1999

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Japan

Narita
Gateway to the Land of the Rising Sun
Shinkhansen
Speeding smoothly through the grey country side
Shinjuku
Millions on the move in a modern maze
Ohio gozaimos
A bow more hygienic than the bacterial handshake
Konnichi -wa
Slippers at the door, excluding dust and dirt from the street
Ginza
All the world on display, in such a Japanese way
Irrashaimase
Another bow of welcome at the retail door
Sushi
Seafood cooking to order at your restaurant table
Teppanyaki, Tempura, Yakitori , Sukiyaki
Tempting alternatives
Seken wa semai
Small world, friends seeking a common language
Kyoto
Temples customs and traditions still revered
Mt Fuji
Dominating the scene with its white lofty grandeur
Ryokan
A cell like single room for the night
Sony, Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Kawasaki
Now everyday brand names worldwide
Yasumi nisi
Culture shock, so advanced, so basic
Nippon
New technology meets old values.

© Charles Margerison. 1.1.1999

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Scotland

Land of the hill and the heather
The highland and the lowland
Cast between the sea on three sides
The olde enemie to the south
Shaped by the northern gales
Where winter’s darkness closes out the light
Yet summer’s days go through the night
The fishermen sail out for their catch
From ports now serving the oil merchants
Beyond, to the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh
The heart and lungs of commerce
Castles and palaces survive
Outliving the shipyards and the mines
Where generations toiled while others emigrated
Always recognized by their accent
Champions, like Carnegie and Logie Baird
Innovators of industrial initiative
Names and ideas that will live forever
Adam Smith’s wealth of nations
Bell’s telephone, Watt’s steam, Fleming’s life saver
Leading the way in new lands
The immortal, ‘if only we had the gift’, Robbie Burns
Who gave us ‘Auld lang syne’, an international line of remembrance
Scotland the brave,
A place where a man can wear a kilt and eat haggis
The home of the fiercesome clans
Now transformed to the Tartan Army
Fanatical football warriors urging their team to greatness
Scotland the home of golf and The Royal and Ancient’s sacred land
Welcoming the worshippers and the blessed
Then to the hostelries to drink the golden dew of the glens
A rugged, character forming, country of the clans.

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Places

Barcelona

Barcelona, a grand modern city on the edge of the Mediterranean
A seaport, holiday centre and home to over a million
The capital of the Catalans
Celebrated for its art and architecture
Sagara Famillia
A monument of hope
A message of Faith in stone
Amongst city architecture that pleases the eye
Beautiful balconies
Curves and shapes beyond the square boxes
Majestic trees lining each avenue
Peace and shade amongst the city rush
Trees drinking in the carbon dioxide
Making Las Ramblas a community, not just a shopping mall
Monuments of God and Mammon
Nou Camp Stadium for the worship of the soccer faithful
The Bull Ring, slaughter in the name of art
A metropolis on the edge of the blue Mediterranean
Catalan nationalists, yet Spanish
Such are the contradictions of Barcelona and Spain
A modern city, reflecting its past
Catholic churches in abundance
The faithful listen and pray, but live their own lives
Little sign of the Romans who passed this way
Less sign of the Goths, and the Moors and other invaders
Barcelona
It’s people charting their own future
Beyond Franco’ Fascism, and the evils of war
Into the new Europe
Still however Catalan first, Spanish second and European third
Barcelona
© Charles Margerison. 2000

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Pompeii

79 AD
The night was cool and clam
They slept in peace awaiting the dawn light
Above came the rumble and the roar
The sulphur smog sweeping forward
Choking them as they arose
To run before the crimson red river
The lava lake covering their homes
Some, too late to run were asphyxiated were they lay
Frozen in time with the molten morass
Vesuvius had spoken their death sentence
Creating a museum of life
Marking the miracle of their creators
The city of Pompeii

September 2000

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