Jenkins’ Ear

By Makis
- 94 reads
'Go tell your king that we'll do this to him,'
they said, as they chopped off his ear
You're not wanted here, the Americas are ours,
we hold the power, is that clear?
But it was far from clear, and amidst the furore
Jenkins' ear became the byline for war
Swathes of the Americas had been seized by Spain,
much to the disdain of King George
And now Captain Jenkins had been savagely cut
for trading in cane and sweet hazelnut
A merchant sea captain most cruelly waylaid
for the innocent promotion of English trade
Parliament enraged, declared war against Spain
and Jenkins' ear became the rallying refrain
For nine long years they fought across the globe
over merchant trade and detached earlobe
Until, alarmed by the loss of fighting personnel
they met to sign a treaty at Aix-la-Chapelle
It was never about an ear, but about global might
and the stigma of being outdone
The Americas were Spain's and England was vexed
and on feeble pretext waged a decade of spite
The lust to forge empire begets hatred and wars
until finally halted by guns bigger than yours
image in common use
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ah, so dear student. write an
ah, so dear student. write an essay about what has changed and mention the Middle East and the current geopolitical crisis and moral decay?
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The War of Jenkins' Ear. Isn
The War of Jenkins' Ear. Isn't history wonderful? You couldn't make it up but it did happen.
Enjoyed this and you have brought a historical event to life with great skill
[Should that read: 'But it was far from clear..'?]
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Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/search?q=FrancesMF
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