They Might Not Be Giants — Joey Marianer at Angela Brett's Poetry Show on JoCo Cruise 2022
Channel: Angela Brett
Date: 2022-04-14

This is a poem I wrote about the phrase 'If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants'. It's frequently attributed to Isaac Newton, but people have been saying something like it since the twelfth century, which made me think maybe they weren't giants.

I perform this quite often at open mics on and off cruise ships — I even commissioned a poster of it, so you could say it's my first 'single'. So it's quite possible you've heard me read it before (if you haven't, you can here: https://angelastic.bandcamp.com/track/they-might-not-be-giants) and therefore I handed it straight over to Joey, who set it to music. Here's the video I mentioned of Joey singing it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02MEMR3PAMg

Lyrics:

“If I have seen farther,” the scientist said, 
“it’s not because I am a giant. 
“Great minds of the past have helped me get ahead; 
it’s their shoulders on which I’m reliant.” 

“Now listen to me!” said the great on whose shoulder 
the first one was glad to have stood. 
“I’m quite short of stature, it’s just that I’m older 
and those before me were so good.” 

And sure enough, this one was perched on the neck 
of a giantist of great renown 
who balanced in turn on another; by heck! 
It’s little guys all the way down. 

And some were thought giants, and some were thought midgets 
and some were thought nothing at all, 
but each would insist, “Those below were no idjits. 
It’s them that have made me so tall.” 

And scrambling around them their fans would aspire, 
to see something not seen before 
by climbing the tower of dwarves, ever higher 
for glimpses, or footholds, or more. 

Most could not scale to the summit in time, 
before their peak fitness would end. 
Some found it tough and abandoned the climb 
while some would, with vigor, descend: 

Aware that such heights were so taxing to reach, 
they helped to lift people and hopes, 
inventing new ladders and platforms to teach, 
securing and showing the ropes. 

“They might not be giants, but they must go far 
and that journey isn’t for me. 
I’ll boost them through science, raise them and the bar 
and profit from what they will see.” 

So said the teacher while lifting a child 
on shoulders so humble and stressed. 
The youth saw a vista that had them beguiled 
and bounded straight up to the crest.

The video of the entire show is at https://youtu.be/VkpGEGRtrDs
The playlist of videos of individual poems/songs is at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ-l6mr1dW0hJ1kN-7Fi7viIPXRSIJGjW
There's also a playlist of videos mentioned in the show: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ-l6mr1dW0iFgLqZ5GrhBNQsT4p7EDXx

What can I say? I like playlists.