Help me find this dimly remembered poem?

February 24, 2018 11:54 PM

There's this poem I barely remember.

It doesn't rhyme, first of all.

It starts out something like "I am leaving my something to" or "I am giving my something" or "leave my something to" - instructions on what to do with a guy's stuff after his death, in other words.

The last line is something about "but keep my something; keep it with the something else."

Thanks for any help you can give me.

posted by KChasm to Media & Arts (7 answers total)

Response by poster: Oh, and one more thing I just remembered:

I think the phrase "National Trust" or "National [something]" could have been in there somewhere. But I can't bee 100% sure of that.
posted by KChasm at 1:21 AM on February 25, 2018 [1 favorite]

This sounds really familiar...but I can't place it. "National Trust" would absolutely make sense in a poem that is about bequests, given the amount of property left to the National Trust over the years. I will keep thinking.
posted by howfar at 2:00 AM on February 25, 2018

Your description made me think of the The Last Will and Testament of Jake Thackray - for sure it doesn't rhyme and it seems to convey the sentiment your talking about. (As performed)
posted by rongorongo at 2:03 AM on February 25, 2018 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I’ve made out a will, Simon Armitage!
posted by peppercorn at 8:16 AM on February 25, 2018 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: That's it! Thanks, peppercorn. It was driving me crazy.
posted by KChasm at 8:51 AM on February 25, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: A delightful poem... but it rhymes!
posted by languagehat at 3:01 PM on February 25, 2018

Response by poster: It totally does rhyme. It's a bit slanty, and has a really off-beat rhyme scheme, which must be why I misremembered it as non-rhymey.
posted by KChasm at 4:42 PM on February 25, 2018