Not slim
And far from win-
some, the round robin
sings
In unmelodious tones
of things familial;
Who passed what exam,
did well at work, had chil-
dren of rare beauty;
feathers puffed with pride; but still
Behind the seeming gasconading,
someone strove
To keep the distant bonds,
with time worn thin,
In place, that
complicated love
That families have
Within.
(coincidentally, Lynne Truss read a series of thoughts on round robins, on the Radio 4 Today programme this week. A bit unkind, I thought; it's easy to poke fun at the gaucheries of family bulletins to get clever points, after all. I've always been happy to get family newsletters; these days they tend to be from people I like anyway, and even the bad ones I used to get were good for a laugh. Let us yet be merciful....)
