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Hi all,
My father has just died and we're looking to put the following poem on the order of service during his funeral ceremon as it was his favourite (Always quoting it to the point it became a family joke). Unfortunately I can't find the exact words or the author. Does anyone here recognise it , please and know who penned it?
Cheerful Charlie ran a race,
The race was very fast.
Although he did the best he could,
Poor Charlie came in last.
But did he pout or did he frown like Doleful Donald would?
'Oh no', he cried, 'Hoorah for me! I done the best I could!'
Many thanks in advance for any help anyone is able to give me.
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03-18-2025, 09:39 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-18-2025, 09:40 PM by CRNDLSM.)
You probably already used chat gpt
I understand you're seeking a poem that concludes with a sentiment like "I did my best! I've won!" or "I done the best I could," featuring a character named Cheerful Charlie who maintains a positive attitude despite finishing last in a race. After reviewing available sources, I couldn't locate a poem that exactly matches your description.
There is a poem titled "Cheerful Charlie" by Greg Costello, but its content differs from the scenario you've mentioned.
It's possible that the poem you're recalling is less widely known or perhaps a variation of another work. If you have any additional details or context about where you encountered this poem—such as the time period, publication, or any other distinguishing features—I would be glad to assist further in identifying its author.
I copied your poem without the last sentence and asked if chat gpt could finish it, as if it might recognize a published work, then modified my questions
Peanut butter honey banana sandwiches
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The rhythm and sentiment are similar to a Burma-Shave™ poem, except that the last two lines are a bit long to fit on the signs or be read at a glance (this is not disrespectful, Burma-Shave™ jingles were amusing and sometimes pithy).
Must admit, I thought the last line would be more along the lines of, in the race of life, finishing last is as good as finishing with the most toys. If you wanted a variant that's more cheerful in itself, that could be its theme.
Non-practicing atheist
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Many thanks for your thoughts.
It is this text I want, rather than another poem with the same sentiment as it was this poem in particular that my Dad was fond of. I guess it is pretty old - I imagine my Dad learnt it off by heart at school in England, at oldest, when he was 14-16 or so and he has just died at 97 so I guess the verse is probably 100+ years old.
Mostly the words are correct I think. I'm not sure of the 'although he did the best he could' (although it fits) or the word 'done' in the last line (could be 'did'). Other than that I think they are pretty correct.
I understand the sentiment to be that it is always important to try your best - a sentiment very close to my fathers heart right up to the end and one he drummed into us kids. I guess that was why he liked it.
I've googled it - nothing. I've DuckDuckGo'ed [sorry] it and Yahoo'ed [sorry again] it - but can't find any reference.
Other than that - I am certain that my Dad didn't write it and that he had told us he had learnt it at school.
Hope there is something useful in here...
Quote:
I copied your poem without the last sentence and asked if chat gpt could finish it, as if it might recognize a published work, then modified my questions
That's an interesting approach - it had not occurred to me.
