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THE MOTHER - LODGE
by Rudyard Kipling There was Rundle, Station Master, And Beazeley of the Rail And Ackman, Commissariat, And Donkin of the Jail; And Blake, Conductor-Sergeant, Our Master twice was he, With him that kept the Europe-shop, Old Framjee Eduljee. Outside – “Sergeant! Sir! Salute! Salaam!” Inside – “Brother,” and it doesn’t do no harm. We met upon the Level and we parted on the Square, And I was Junior Deacon in my Mother-Lodge out there! We’d Bola Nath, Accountant, And Saul the Aden Jew, And Din Mohammed, draughtsman Of the Survey Office too; There was Babu Chuckerbutty, And Amir Singh, the Sikh, And Castro from the fitting-sheds, The Roman Catholick! We hadn't good regalia, And our Lodge was old and bare, But we knew the Ancient Landmarks, And we kept them to a hair; And looking on it backwards It often strikes me thus, There ain’t such things as infidels, Except perhaps, it’s us. For monthly, after Labour, We’d all sit down and smoke (We dursn’t give no banquets, Lest a Brother’s caste were broke), And man on man got talking Religion and the rest, And every man comparing Of the God he knew the best. So man on man got talking, And not a Brother stirred Till morning waked the parrots And that dam’ brain-fever-bird; We’d say ‘twas highly curious, And we’d all ride home to bed, With Mohammed, God, and Shiva Changing pickets in our head Full oft on Guv’ment service This roving foot hath pressed, And bore fraternal greetings To the Lodges east and west, According as commanded, From Kohat to Singapore, But I wish that I might see them In my Mother-Lodge once more! I wish that I might see them, My Brethren black and brown, With the trichies smelling pleasant And the hog-darn¹ passing down; And the old khansamah² snoring On the bottle-khana³ floor, Like a Master in good standing With my Mother-Lodge once more. Outside – “Sergeant! Sir! Salute! Salaam!” Inside – “Brother,” and it doesn’t do no harm. We met upon the Level and we parted on the Square, And I was Junior Deacon in my Mother-Lodge out there! ¹ hog-darn / cigar lighter
² khansamah / butler ³ bottle-khana / pantry |
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Site Copyrighted by Masonic Lodge 118 2006 - 2011
Web questions contact web master