Rhymes of the East and Re-collected Verses

A lively anthology of verse that captures the humor and bewilderment of a British officer’s years in India, this collection weaves together witty sketches, gentle satire, and vivid snapshots of colonial life. Borrowed from the pages of a popular British humor magazine and from two rare, locally‑published booklets, the poems range from playful observations of garden evenings and bustling canteens to tongue‑in‑cheek moral lessons for fresh‑faced youths. The poet’s voice balances affection for the subcontinent’s colors and customs with a keen eye for the absurdities of empire, offering readers a charming window into an era often filtered through hearsay.

Interlaced with the occasional mock‑epic and a few affectionate epistles to friends, the verses invite listeners to linger over the quirky details of daily routines—hookah smoke, punkah breezes, and the clatter of ships returning from the Delhi Durbar. With a tone that is both light‑hearted and thoughtful, the collection provides a pleasant, melodic journey through a world where the familiar meets the exotic, all rendered in crisp, rhythmic language.