ASF Poetry Thread

BALIBO FIVE IN CONTEXT

the coroner today decreed
and all five widows heard her
that ghosts of billabongs are freed
that Balibo was murder

she introduced some other words
like “war crimes” by one “yunis”
for which (says Ruddock) AFP
will look right into “soonas”.

now how can that be juxtaposed
with simple minded mules
who just suppose were dobbed in to
those federal copper fools

on one hand “war crimes” in the air
the other, “fairness rules”
I‘ll be hanged if that sounds even halfway fair
where the feds just fed em to the wolves.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/16/2092767.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/16/2093260.htm
http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/16/2093533.htm?section=justin

I personally think they should get their ashes back
....(needless to say they've been burnt to destroy evidence of how they died) ...
and give em a State Funeral

THE CURTAIN DRAWS NEAR

it's not so much the instant death
by a couple of meteor splashes;
it's not so much by a mad macbeth,
as a death by a thousand lashes;
its not so likely an asteroid
or some intergallactic implosion;
it's more - for sure - by a copulating
populating explosion.

and so men march to a final curtain
with a strange reluctance to steer,
when the fall to the orchestra pit is for certain
and the final act is so near,
with the stagefloor a salted and earthcracking drought
and a rising tide and the fear,
.............
but there's no longer doubt that the world's worn out
- and "we didn't like it here"

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/19/2095123.htm?section=justin

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A MEAN AUSTRALIAN

We’ve been told we’re in fact really mean
and says Geldof that’s cause for no pride
what does "liberal" actually mean?
are they taking that word for a ride?.

For they claim to be Christian and sainthood
yet how sad and how sickening too
when they preach like a Jesus it's tainted
they fit better in Judas’s shoe.

It would seem we’re a miserable team
it would seem we’re a miserly friend
what it means in the end is obscene
cos it seems it’s all means to an end;

what it means in the end to be mean?
it's the same as to be Australian.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/20/2095571.htm

JOHNNY STILL THINKS IRAQ WAS A GOOD IDEA

we vacate the moral high ground
and we’re vulnerable as sin
and we vapourise their country
till some bad guy’s given in
till each second person over there
has casualties for kin
and we then are fed like ostriches
that that’s a bludy WIN!?

2020hindsight said:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/20/2095571.htm

JOHNNY STILL THINKS IRAQ WAS A GOOD IDEA

we vacate the moral high ground
and we’re vulnerable as sin
and we vapourise their country
till some bad guy’s given in
till each second person over there
has casualties for kin
and we then are fed like ostriches
that that’s a bludy WIN!?

Click to expand...

Johnny sees the moral high ground in Iraq

We're always on moral high ground
and in prayer, our sins forgiven
and we help protect your country
from the bad guys, the evil men,
'till every person who's over there
sees our honesty in saving them,
we don't hide our heads like ostriches
we're out to save your kith and kin.

noirua

Hi 2020 et al, Bob Geldorf fails to see that Australia is a small country, by population, and has fought wars on very many fronts when other countries have opted out. Many of these countries have populations far and above Australia's.

Some may disagree, but so many countries have improved their position in Asia due to the very many minerals, coal, oil, iron ore etc., that has been sent in vast quantities.

So, Australia has supported Asia greatly and the likes of Bob Geldorf should put more pressure on other countries to help. He doesn't seem to go to Latin American countries, Hong Kong and Taiwan or the very many Arab countries that have great wealth.

THE EVOLVING GOD OF THE FUTURE

the sundials will keep wearing out
the planets keep revolving
one day we’ll wear it’s bearing out
till then gods keep evolving
since noone’s ever seen him close
I’m voting undecided
which watchmaker do you suppose
will meet us undersodded

which meld or melting pot of Buddhas
waits evolves all “latticed”
I hope that god evolved is gooder
survival of the fattest
the universe keeps going round
the matchmaker just morphs
invented oh so pure profound
one milliminute to twelve. **

the sundials just keep wearing down
the pyramids turn dust
the buildings lost to “tearing down”
the metros lost to rust
praps man is freed from pain and sorrow
perhaps we’ll learn to trust
perhaps some far off GRAND tomorrow
perhaps we’ll learn we must.

Editor's note:- If the earth has been around for 4.5 billion years, (which we'll call 12 hours)
and if man has been around for 1.8million years (which is 17 seconds)

then let's suppose that the jewish religion can pretend it goes back to Adam and Eve ( 6000 years) ,
this is only 0.06 seconds, which is 60 milliseconds = 1 milliminute

BOOK TITLES, "God" and "Science"

spose god is like a book name
that you saw in lost and found
the intro like a shepherd’s crook
to gather people round
and chapter one’s a longer look
and wine to pass around
Tahaitians called him Captain Cook
Hawaiians called him drowned.

you’ll note that book is not alone
upon it’s massive shelf
and all there search the great unknown
to find the great Himself
there’s books on Buddha, books on idols
wizardry and wealth,
and books on nuns and bridalled bridles
books on spirits, stealth.

now sposing there’s another row
of books of equal length
their title is more “what we know”
called “scientific strength”
and everything can be repeated
simple and so clear
I ask you which book - bound and sheeted
best disperse-eth fear.?

and both rows represent "ideas"
each on different themes
and reading which leaves wider ears?
painting "what life seems"?
suppose you read the first row
and you then peruse the second
which tempts you that there’s more to know
and which is “truth€ you’d reckon?

GET RID OF THOSE USELESS ASSETS

Aussies had these useless assets when our Johnny came to power
things like Telstra that were hoarded like those birds that build a bower,
so his good news was to sell it (and some iron ore and felspar)
but the bad news (tell it, zealot) – you can only once sell Telstra.

Now I’ve learn my economics from what Johnny does up there
and I’ve listed out my assets like this house and desk and chair
and my good news? – under-feated ! - till I’m buried under loam
but I can’t keep cake and eat it, and I’m slowly eating my home.

Who says they didn't have elections back in Shakespeare's day?

http://www.rhymezone.com/r/ss.cgi?q=election&loc=rz1&mode=k

Just that Googlemaps on another thread reminded me of the overlay (recent TV show) of Captain Cook's painstaking efforts of mapping coastlines, versus a simple photo - albeit from a satellite.

“OLD WORLD, MEET THE NEW”

There are many introductions, you can ponder on and smile,
when you have an idle minute, or you walk an idle mile,
where the new world, bold yet tragic, meets the old, back up the track,
but there’s sadly no such magic, and there’s no more going back.

“Here now new world, meet the old world”, just imagine how they’d look,
“Galileo meet Neil Armstrong”, “Googlemaps meets Captain Cook”,
fire brigades save London burning, shrinks help Nero turn out sane,
but the Hansard’s page keeps turning, and we won’t go there again.

“Shakespeare, Churchill, Harry Potter” ; “Chaser, Chaucer”, just for fun,
“Henry Eighth meet wifebash rehab”, “Chapman’s Homer, some home run”,
“Homer Simpson, Simpsons donkey”; “Simpson’s donkey, medivac”,
“medieval, evil modern”; “hairy caveman, meet mc-shack”.

“Orange William, blushing Lizzie”, “Caesar welcome back to Rome -
things have changed round here a tissie, we have Forums in our home”,
“Alexander, George, Afghanistan”, they’d all meet in Iraq,
but that’s not the way things “outward pan”, and there’s no way to “pan back”.

And the middle eastern problems, are all handled slightly better,
praps things wouldn’t be so wobbly, “hey blood-brother, meet blood-letter”,
“hey you blind crusading madmen, meet a line of nasty crack -
take a wrong turn, play some badminton, but please just don’t come back”.

yes some medieval weirdos, meet your modern types that rant,
and the evil you inflict upon the simple folk who plant,
just get swallowed by some Jonah’s whale, or rip-tides-in-Rea-Sea,
oh if only God had followed up, - we could rewrite history.

"IT’S A MORAL" SAYS JOHNNY

Campaigning is all over
some careers have run aground,
the last 10 you’re in clover
and the next in "lost and found",
a campaign unbelievable
mismanaged from the “get go”
proclaiming only he could lead
(now Johnny has to let go).

Did Howard stay too long they ask
and hence the avenging sword?
some sin exposed, some flaw unmasked
or baseball bats or bored?
repaying his electorates
his chosen few on greed?
but not enough inspectorates
and not enough on “need”.?

Did Johnny stay too long they say
as if they’ll now admit it?
OK for him, he walks away
(his dummy and he’ll spit it).
And taking out Costello like
a selfish centred fool
leaves voting-kids to judge the fellow
“THAT was most un-cool”!

And is Costello “Heaven sent”
AND SURELY he’s still keen?
... But .. difficult when Johnny spent
the last year venting spleen.
Too late, Costello gets the nod,
John makes the team now pay,
but “there but for the grace of God
goes God” as John would say.

“It’s a shoe in” said the Labor poll
a “moral” said the Libs,
Last night we searched the nation’s soul
on which they thought were fibs,
tomorrow there’s a change of guard
and Johnny’s a “has-been”,
and the other Libs go ack to work
on “what does moral mean”. .

Just watched Tanya Costello quoting from this - at Peter Costello's side as he claimed he was declining the leadership because he needed more tme with his family .

THE SENTIMENTAL BLOKE by C.J. Dennis

XIV. THE MOOCH O' LIFE

This ev'nin' I was sittin' wiv Doreen,
Peaceful an' 'appy wiv the day's work done,
Watchin', be'ind the orchard's bonzer green,
The flamin' wonder of the settin' sun.

Another day gone by; another night
Creepin' along to douse Day's golden light;
Another dawning when the night is gone,
To live an' love -- an' so life mooches on.

Times I 'ave thought, when things was goin' crook,
When 'Ope turned nark an' Love forgot to smile,
Of somethin' I once seen in some old book
Where an ole sorehead arsts, "Is life worf w'ile?"

But in that stillness, as the day grows dim,
An' I am sittin' there wiv 'er an' 'im--
My wife, my son! an' strength in me to strive,
I only know -- it's good to be alive!

Yeh live, yeh love, yeh learn; an' when yeh come
To square the ledger in some thortful hour,
The everlastin' answer to the sum
Must allus be, "Where's sense in gittin' sour?"

Fer when yeh've come to weigh the good an' bad --
The gladness wiv the sadness you 'ave 'ad --
Then 'im 'oo's faith in 'uman goodness fails
Fergits to put 'is liver in the scales.

Livin' an' loving learnin' day be day;
Pausin' a minute in the barmy strife
To find that 'elpin' others on the way
Is gold coined fer your profit -- sich is life.

I've studied books wiv yearnings to improve,
To 'eave meself out of me lowly groove,
An' 'ere is orl the change I ever got:
"'Ark at yer 'eart, an' you kin learn the lot."

I gives it in -- that wisdom o' the mind --
I wasn't built to play no lofty part.
Orl such is welkim to the joys they find;
I only know the wisdom o' the 'eart.

An' ever it 'as taught me, day be day,
The one same lesson in the same ole way:
"Look fer yer profits in the 'earts o' friends,
Fer 'atin' never paid no dividends."

Life's wot yeh make it; an' the bloke 'oo tries
To grab the shinin' stars frum out the skies
Goes crook on life, an' calls the world a cheat,
An' tramples on the daisies at 'is feet.

But when the moon comes creepin' o'er the hill,
An' when the mopoke calls along the creek,
I takes me cup o' joy an' drinks me fill,
An' arsts meself wot better could I seek.

An' ev'ry song I 'ear the thrushes sing
That everlastin' message seems to bring;
An' ev'ry wind that whispers in the trees
Gives me the tip there ain't no joys like these:

Livin' an' loving wand'rin' on yet way;
Reapin' the 'arvest of a kind deed done;
An' watching in the sundown of yer day,
Yerself again, grown nobler in yer son.

Knowin' that ev'ry coin o' kindness spent
Bears interest in yer 'eart at cent per cent;
Measurin' wisdom by the peace it brings
To simple minds that values simple things.

An' when I take a look along the way
That I 'ave trod, it seems the man knows best,
Who's met wiv slabs of sorrer in 'is day,
When 'e is truly rich an' truly blest.

An' I am rich, becos me eyes 'ave seen
The lovelight in the eyes of my Doreen;
An' I am blest, becos me feet 'ave trod
A land 'oo's fields reflect the smile o' God.

Livin' an' lovin'; learnin' to fergive
The deeds an' words of some un'appy bloke
Who's missed the bus -- so 'ave I come to live,
An' take the 'ole mad world as 'arf a joke.

Sittin' at ev'nin' in this sunset-land,
Wiv 'Er in all the World to 'old me 'and,
A son, to bear me name when I am gone....
Livin' an' lovin' -- so life mooches on.

call it a sentimental goodbye to the democrats

the party's over - Shirley Bubbley

KIDS, ICEBERGS and POLITICS

I’m genuinely glad that kids are given vote and voice
praps “work choice” kept them off the skids– except there was no “choice”
apart from maybe “yes” or “no” - like “take or leave it dude”
but as their young fair minds will know - that’s euphemist for “rude”.

A generation generally jumping in their jeans
and genuine regeneration where the future leans
and Kevin might be past his prime, and probably (kid-speak) ‘stale’
I hope that kids learn – in good time - what moral stuff entails.

Past father figures, (Scrooge’s voice) whined “how much will it cost”
but as for any moral voice? - 10 years that voice was lost.
the future’s hot !– a fact now! - it’s no sweat that they’re on board
- essential we all act now! – so their future is assured.

I’m genuinely glad that kids can start to steer the ship
(while selfish stupid dinosaurs go find a rubbish tip)
it’s not that there are icebergs anywhere to cause a crash
but that is due precisely to the fact they’ve turned to ash .

2020hindsight said:

call it a sentimental goodbye to the democrats

the party's over - Shirley Bubbley

Click to expand...

Very sad 2020, "video is no longer available", shucks.

Maybe the Democrats haven't gone
I clicked on the video, yes it's gone,
Howard and Costello are waiting in the wings
one slip by Rudd and they're straight back in.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/29/2105652.htm

NELSON SAYS NO NEED FOR SORRY

"I'm so proud of white Australians, when they fought their bludy wars
but praps not of 'piscapalians, when they murdered Abs galore";

why not compromise, fair brendon - try to marry up the two
Just say "sorry" to those Abs that fought and died for me and you

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/27/2102505.htm

SURF's UP, and INCIDENTALLY, RAPE IS UNJUSTIFIED

Aussie males have mad ideas
and a most peculiar custom
they treat their womenfolk as peers
- both pedestalled and lust em,
and summer days we worship/ crave
so too a fun filled life
and it’s shirts off, skirts off, catch a wave
and laugh with someone’s wife.

If someone else finds flesh obscene
this lifestyle too Satanic,
I question why and what they mean
I see unmanly manic,
They argue "rape is justified"
these truly mental men
…
these words are most “un’trustified”
and the words of “un-gentlemen”.

TITANIC and GLOBAL WARMING Compared

it was early nineteen hundreds
when Titanic slipped her berth
and I find that I am wondrin
of the parallels with earth -
sure it’s similar between them
and so sad (for what it’s worth)
that they both sailed on in ignorance
the warnings drowned in mirth.

as the rich and idle stuffed themselves
on the waste of societies cream,
as they milked the earth’s resources
in their “milkcow-beam-to-beam”,
and with idiots controlling
standing side by side on watch
with the aim of greed out-polling
(yearning something else to botch).

priorities were wrongly set
and warnings were ignored,
but then the danger dead ahead
came through the hull on board,
all hell broke loose, but all too late
they queued for lifeboats rare,
unselfish , some elected fate
whilst STILL some yelled “my share!!”

the idiots who then (/now) reigned
thought themselves less-like-men , more mules
(not penis size, more peanut brained
and stubborn stupid fools),
why don’t they turn the ship around
and take a different course,
that way we might have fewer drowned
with the will of unselfish force.

too late to curve their massive wake
or turn from that dangerous ground,
they sailed down through that rising lake
and woke to wakes all round.
the last thing that is paralleled
"Titanic" and this "Warming",
in the morning the floating flotsam smelled
and all pointed to New York reforming.

.....................
PS from an earlier post ....
sorry I find I have a bit of a fixation about this ship..

TITANIC (Wrong boat, wrong time, wrong attitude)

Its a Heaven-sent night to be out on deck, and we're hundreds of miles from shore,
No radar invented but what the heck, the Captain's been this way before,
The pride of his eye, the pride of the fleet, and the White Star line and all,
And there's only one pride that he's yet to meet, that's the one that preempts a fall.

Hey look Bergermeister that berg of ice, just out of the blue so romantic,
The Captain must know the stakes and the dice, or forgotten he's in mid Atlantic?
Cos the way that I see it, - the speed we are going, - that half hidden monster ahead,!!
There's just a wee chance , without to-ing and fro-ing of a....."CRUNCH!!" woops, and stopping dead.

It's a beautiful night, but I must go inside, this lean's the champagne I assume,
But Im also concerned at the rising tide in the starboard engine room,
That's funny?? That funnel just went up in smoke ! and now we're splitting in two!
Ah those deckchairs are crooked! and Im a neat bloke, it'll give me something to do.

And the strains of the hymn "Abide with me" I hear some heroes playing,
St Peter - tune in!! and confide with me, Mate where do I go for "weigh in"?
And a handful of lifeboats bobbing like cork, watch the stern disappear from view,
And unless you can walk the watery walk, Move on to a world of dark blue.

...................

There's right and there's wrong and there's "wronger" dude - Wrong boat, wrong time, wrong attitude,
Too little perhaps the longitude, and far too lax the latitude,
And too much ice with the whiskey dries, and too many people got wet
And far too cocky the hype and the cries that was sold as such a safe bet.

And too determined a win to record, for a maiden voyage and fastest,
And too many omens simply ignored, that rebounded and made it the lastest,
And "full speed ahead" despite the warning that icepacks were hunting in threes,
And far too long before daylight's dawning, and far too cold the seas.

And it just goes to show that we don't always know what's around the next bend (just as well)
Cos it's moist underfoot (neath the undertow) and it's not "all's well" neath the swell,
And three hours ago we were laughing flatchat, in a floating hotel unsinkable,
Now courage and curtains are where it's at, and its all so damned unthinkable.

..........................

"The Captain advises he'll have to abstain from the 10:00 pm party upstairs
Cos he's busy with mops where someone complained, and he's having to lead the prayers"
Twas one hell of a debrief in Heav'n to report, that night the Titanic sank
While the sinkable boats came home to port from the self same Newfoundland bank,

And 1500 found a new home, on the lonely Newfoundland Bank.

Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Titanic
The RMS Titanic, a British Olympic-class ocean liner, became famous as the largest ocean liner built in her day and also for sinking on her maiden voyage in 1912 with a tremendous loss of life. Estimates vary, but around 1,500 people perished in the accident; the disaster ranks as one of the worst peacetime maritime disasters in history, and is by far the best remembered. The media frenzy about the incident, the discovery of the wreck in 1985, and the box office successes of three major films have perpetuated the fame. The loss of life affected many aspects of maritime law and safety practices.

Building and design
In the early part of the 20th century, White Star Line sought to compete with the rival Cunard Line which then dominated the luxury niche for Atlantic transit, with the large and opulent Lusitania and Mauretania, which were the fastest and largest liners afloat.

Click to expand...