The Charge of the Nodial Brigade

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Dent
Strode the thespian pack.
"Forward, the Nodial Brigade!
Charge for the pub!" from the back :
Into the valley of Dent
Strode the thespian pack.

"Forward, the Nodial Brigade!"
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the thespians all knew
Some one had blundered:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Dent
Strode the thespian pack.

Midges to right of them,
Midges to left of them,
Midges in front of them
Swarmed and thundered;
Stormed them like a airborne shell,
Boldly they strode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Strode the thespian pack.

Flashed all their sabres bare,
Flashed as they turned in air
Sabring the midges there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wondered:
Plunged in the swirling-smoke
Right through the line they broke;
Ceratopogonidae and no-see-ums 
Reeled from the sabre-stroke
Shattered and sundered.
Then they Strode back, but not,
Not the full thespian pack.
Midges to right of them,
Midges to left of them,
Midges behind them
Swarmed and divebombed;
Stormed them like a airborne shell,
While egg pacers and heros fell,
They that had fought so well
Came through the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of thespian pack.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Nodial Brigade,
Noble thespian pack !



With apologies to : Lord Alfred Tennyson