Guess Who : Riddles in Rhyme

Charlie, Charlie, likes to parley
talks to oats and beans and barley.
What he tells them nobody knows
but that's the way his garden grows.
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The King of Babylon ruled his land
with an iron glove on an iron hand.
He made the country shiver and shake
and kept the bushes wide awake.
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A rich young man who lived in the east
became a fierce and cunning beast.
He left his home and lived in a cave
because he didn't know how to behave.
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An iron lady came to town
and turned the country upside down.
Some said hang her, some said burn,
but no one could make the lady turn.
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One two three, what do I see?
four five six, who's playing tricks?
seven eight nine, spin me a line.
number ten, messed up again.
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A Scotsman who wasn’t, flew very high;
he wanted to rule both earth and sky
but things went wrong when a brook went astray.
His empire collapsed but he went on his way.
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The Queen of Hearts she topped the charts,
her own heart it was torn.
She took a ride and sadly died
which made the people mourn.
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They called him a king, he was really a child
loved by the millions he thrilled and beguiled.
His fame has outlived him, his magic lives on;
the man in the mirror, untimely gone.
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Such a dear person, a star shining bright
with looks so amazing, can this be right?
It would appear she can turn back time.
But unlike Jesse James she commits no crime.
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A thistle, a rose and a daffodil,
united in space if not in will.
What shall become of them do you suppose,
the thistle, the daffodil, and the rose?
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 A farmer’s boy became a king;
the earth was rocked when he started to sing.
From land of cotton to land of grace
everyone came to know his face.
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From rebel to president this man rose
a man of vision as everyone knows.
Jailed for treason yet prized for peace
his struggle for justice would never cease.
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She tops the bill and what a top!
Where do her enhancements stop?
Her coat of many colours shows
her love of life where’er she goes.
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He silently played many parts in his day,
the idol in many an old matinée.
Named for a reindeer or maybe a saint,
was he the first to make young women faint?
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Was he a monster, a creature of night
or just a cruel Romanian fright?
Dragons define him, as Romans might say. 
An insufferable man for sure, anyway.
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He flies through the air with the greatest of ease
but isn’t the man on the flying trapeze.
His colourful costume might give you a clue.
Who is this fine fellow, and what does he do?
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This beautiful woman reigned so long ago
she rarely saw rain, and never saw snow.
She’s said to have had a strange beauty regime
and her use of eye liner was pretty extreme.
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Was he a man or was he a myth
this man who was outlawed along with his kith?
And did he wear scarlet or did he wear green?
There are legends a-plenty in print and on screen.
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With auburn wig and whitened face,
embroidered gowns bedecked with lace,
this lady never shirked her duty
but wasn’t famous for her beauty.
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An outlaw down under may make some folk groan.
Though famous in Oz he’s not more widely known.
Was he a hero or was he a thug?
He finally lies in a grave newly dug.
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A dancer of note, one of many fine males,
who sported a top hat, a white tie and tails.
He partnered some pretty girls; picture it now
as they whirl round the floor before taking a bow.
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The tramp became famous by being a clown.
British by birth he found fame overseas.
Regrettably, politics then brought him down
but his genius survives and continues to please.
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His books have sold millions, I have them myself
but so long to read that they sit on the shelf.
One day I’ll learn what the fuss is about
or just watch the films and try not to pass out.
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A painter, inventor, a scientist too.
Was there anything he couldn’t do?
He wrote with both hands, even backwards at times,
but I don’t know if he ever wrote any rhymes.
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Ask yourself when is a ring not a ring:
a question that’s most apposite.
This man became famous in just such a thing,
but was equally known for his wit.
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