ASF Poetry Thread

[2020hindsight]

Sarah Palin probably owes a debt to this lady (Louisa Lawson - mother to Henry)

http://www.nla.gov.au/guides/federation/people/lawsonl.html

In 1887-8 she edited the Republican with son Henry, printed on an old press set up in Louisa's cottage. The Republican called for all Australians to unite under 'the flag of a Federated Australia, the Great Republic of the Southern Seas'.

Republican was replaced by the Nationalist which lasted two issues.

From 1888 to 1905 Louisa was the moving spirit behind the feminist journal, Dawn: a Journal for Australian Women.

In 1891 she joined the Womanhood Suffrage League, allowing the League to use the Dawn office and print its literature there free of charge. She was a member of the League's deputation to NSW premier George Dibbs in 1892.

In a Dawn editorial of October 1890 she wrote 'Men govern the world and the schemes upon which all our institutions are founded show men's thoughts only'. Her journalistic and political efforts did much to make the vote for women a precondition for a federated Australia.

A WOMAN'S LOVE
by Louisa Lawson (1848-1920)

I cared not what they failings were
They faults I would not see.
I only knew I loved thee well
And thought thee true to me.

I shunned amid life's busy crowd
Those who would thee defame.
For oh, it pained a trusting heart
To hear men idly blame.

I would not heed when meddling friends
Would whisper aught of thee.
I thought not one so seeming true
Could e'er a traitor be.

And then they knew not of thy tone
Of love and fond caress
That would my soul responsive move
With it's great tenderness.

Nor how my hungry, aching heart
Craved the kind word or smile
That did my thoughts, despondent grown,
From my sad life beguile.

They knew not, and nor mortal shall,
All thou hast been to me.
But I forgive thee all because
Thou once wert true to me.

A CHILD'S QUESTION

O, why do you weep mother, why do you weep
For baby that fell in the summer to sleep?
You say that you prayed, when she lingered in pain,
That God in His mercy would take her again.
He heeded your prayer, and a beautiful sleep
Stole over our darling; then why do you weep?
You tell how the angels sang paeans of love
To welcome her home to the mansions above,
Where lovingly over her spirit they keep
A bright watch forever; then why do you weep?
And have you not told us again and again
That we will yet see her set free from all pain,
Beyond the bright sun where no dark shadows creep?
Then why do you weep, mother? Why do you weep?

THE CITY BIRD

A city bird once in a desperate rage
Threw over the bars of his screen
The whole of the seed that was put in his cage,
And it grew to a miniature green.

Sometimes when my troubles come up in a mass,
And fate a new sorrow doth send,
I turn my wet eyes to that bright bit of grass
As I would to the face of a friend.

For often it helps me to face a new day,
Where Sydney at worst must be seen,
To look on the sparkling dew as it lay
On the blades of the city-yard green.

Returning again at the end of the day
When I sit myself wearily down,
The scent of the grass takes me ever away
From the fret of a dust-covered town.

I wish when they lay me away to my rest,
And bosom and brain are serene,
Some friend would remember to plant o'er my breast
A tuft of that city-yard green.

 

[2020hindsight]

RELIGION AND GW/CC

They say that its some weird religion
that its all about fiction and fad
that’s despite the fact that the forests win bigtime
making millions of critters so glad
that ‘s despite the fact that reluctantly slowly
they’ve had to admit melting poles
but now they want to argue it’s holy
to laugh when science sets goals.

If we change our mind and argue we oughtta
be tempting the devil and fate,
and we subsequent find we’re in hell and high water
can we change back or is it too late?
no God for confessions, no virgins for slaughter,
yet caution we throw to the wind,
in our ignorant guessing, will our grandson or daughter
forgive this dumb sin that we’ve sinned.

who cares if it's religion or not
the fact will be that we've sinned.

 

[noirua]

Some serve up a penance having sinned
and gratitude itself we have truly binned,
a moment we stop and think, a bell rings
we wonder, what now, to do, but to sing.

We visit quite often from work, one ring
gratitude a few clicks away, we only sing,
but now we will do it, just reward, a few clicks
yes, I'll vote now, clickety click click click:

Vote for ASF at: http://www.thebull.com.au/the_stockies/forums.html

 

[2020hindsight]

THE SHOW ISN”T OVER TILL THE CHANDELIERS SHATTER
(apologies to lady opera singers - I'm just trying to string out the process of ending the show - or declaring the show "over" - trying to convince myself to use some patience - with my bank balance for instance )

It isn’t really over till the lady makes those sounds
that she’s searching for a hammer and a hammer has been found,
and she finds some nails and tacks and things - checks horns are set just right
then she hammers on the horny helmet, tried and true and tight!

Then she grabs her spear and armour and her chastitizing belt
and she finishes her fitting them, half sitting down, half knelt,
next she hobbles down the backstage halls and finds the right stage door
and she takes a breath, a smoke perhaps, or two or three or four.

Till the sounds within come floating “wherefore art thou, Joan of Arc?”
and she boldly makes her entrance, and she winks just for a lark
then she takes up her position at the bowspit with her spears
and she let’s loose with her tonsils, to the shattering of chandeliers.!

 

[2020hindsight]

CRACKING THE CODE OF DREAMS

I had a nasty dream the other night
my dog fell down a thousand metre cliff
I woke abruptly furrow-browed with fright
just prior to some underlining biff.

I lay there thinking “wow man that’s not nice!
Hey Mr Sandman – What you do that for !!”
He said “so you might pause for some advice…
Hold vicelike to your heart each offered paw.”

“That you might wake up wealthier and wise
before your journey to some final shore.”
….
He added smiling solemn and precise,
“That you my friend will love life all the more.”

 

[2020hindsight]

THERE'S SOMETHING BIGGER THAN LUCK OR THE LACK THEREOF

B... Buga the wind, it’s caught me, and it’s twisted my face in a frown,
I... (eye) of the storm it’s taught me, that I should've been battoned down,
G... Gee, but I wish that I had sold,
G... Golly, I wish I didn’t still hold,
E... Echh, but my boat has gone and shoaled
R... Rats, but I almost drowned.

But there’s something BIGGER to remind myself of
than a day or two’s luck or the lack thereof...
And there’s something BIGGER than the goals above .....
like freedom
and limb
and life
and love.

 

[noirua]

The Walrus and The Carpenter
Lewis Carroll
(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright--
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"

"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year.
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.

"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."

The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."

"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?

"It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf--
I've had to ask you twice!"

"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"

"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.

dshaw@jabberwocky.com
Return to Lewis Carroll
Return to Jabberwocky

 

[drillinto]

“Do You Have Any Advice For Those of Us Just Starting Out?"
Ron Koertge

Give up sitting dutifully at your desk. Leave
your house or apartment. Go out into the world.

It's all right to carry a notebook but a cheap
one is best, with pages the color of weak tea
and on the front a kitten or a space ship.

Avoid any enclosed space where more than
three people are wearing turtlenecks. Beware
any snow-covered chalet with deer tracks
across the muffled tennis courts.

Not surprisingly, libraries are a good place to write.
And the perfect place in a library is near an aisle
where a child a year or two old is playing as his
mother browses the ranks of the dead.

Often he will pull books from the bottom shelf.
The title, the author's name, the brooding photo
on the flap mean nothing. Red book on black, gray
book on brown, he builds a tower. And the higher
it gets, the wider he grins.

You who asked for advice, listen: When the tower
falls, be like that child. Laugh so loud everybody
in the world frowns and says, "Shhhh."

Then start again.



from Fever, 2006
Red Hen Press (USA)

 

[2020hindsight]

thanks drill .

This one is based on the true-life exploits of a friend's daughter (not my own lol) - left him with two wrecked cars. lol

TEENAGE ROMANCE AND CAR INSURANCE

We live in a little cul-de-sac, with our two cars parked at the kerb
I really should park one out the back, so it’s harder to err – “disturb”
the reason is (I’m getting there), my daughter and her romances
and with two cars here that we all have to share, it’s too taxing on my finances.

My daughter’s ex-boyfriend’s a right royal nerd, he was just a proper drone,
a mixture of “ringlets:” all quite absurd, who went out of his way to moan,
he came around on some pretext phoney, and they had a verbal tiff,
And he left the house on his “shank’s pony”, saying “I’m off to jump off a cliff”

I said to my daughter “good riddance”, as she ran around in a flap,
like a chicken with its head half off, saying “what if he jumps off the gap”!!
I said that’s gotta be 40 k’s, trust me he won’t pass the pub,
but she suddenly jumped up – her eyes ablaze!!, “I’ve gotta go save him (sob sob)”

She jumped in the first of our two parked cars, and shoved it into reverse,
she screamed back, tyres squealing on asphalt tars, to “catch up with him” like a nurse,
the rear of the first smashed the front of the other, and both were left half stacked,
so lik I say, when she gets “another”, I’ll be parking one car round the back

 

[noirua]

Some serve up a penance having sinned
and gratitude itself we have truly binned,
a moment we stop and think, a bell rings
we wonder, what now, to do, but to sing.

We visit quite often from work, one ring
gratitude a few clicks away, we only sing,
but now we will do it, just reward, a few clicks
yes, I'll vote now, clickety click click click:

Vote for ASF at: http://www.thebull.com.au/the_stockies/forums.html

Oh yes, if you have the will to drag yourself away from business and vote for ASF, great, thank you kindly.

Now for some proper poetry from Warrick Wynne, a Melbourne poet and teacher, courtesy of the Jim Low (Aussie country singer) blog.

"Waking in the blue": http://walleahpress.com.au/FR38Wynne.html

 

[2020hindsight]

THE VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE - WILL A PASSMARK DO FOR A POTENTIAL PRESIDENT?

Having just watched the televised VP debate
which "heart-beat-away" would you pick?
as they answered in his case, evaded in hers,
as they tried to out-trump and out-trick,
The lingering doubt never was if "she's nice"
or whether or not she's thick,
It's more if it's sandstone or igloo ice, -
and the thickness of said brick.

 

[2020hindsight]

WE DON'T KNOW HOW PROPITIOUS ARE THE CIRCUMSTANCES FREDERICK.

I’m guessing I outta be giving thanks for rolls that have landed my way,
when dicefalls have sorta been kinder than banks, and landed with “six” to display -
give thanks that I’m healthy, and thanks that I’m fit, and thanks that’s I’m free, unafraid,
Where others are wealthy, I’m deep in the ****, but there’s billions with whom I’d not trade.

How courageous the third world – though they won't admit it, - there’s billions that lifehas “betrayed”.

 

[2020hindsight]

WITH APOLOGIES TO TENNYSON, BUT DID THE MARKET CARRY ON LIKE THIS FOR HIM?

sunset and evening star and after that the dark,
and may there be no moaners at the bar when I depart,
for such a crowd that movement seems asleep, too full for sound (burp) or foam,
when that which grew from out the boundless deep (burp), turns again home.

broke, broke, broke, - and after that who knows,
(do ebbs return as bigger tidal flows?)
a toast to life ! – Earth’s million dollar busk !
then ... man segues to ash, .... and day to dusk.

"Break, Break, Break"

Break, break, break,
On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!
And I would that my tongue could utter
The thoughts that arise in me.

O well for the fisherman's boy,
That he shouts with his sister at play!
O well for the sailor lad,
That he sings in his boat on the bay!

And the stately ships go on
To their haven under the hill:
But O for the touch of a vanish'd hand,
And the sound of a voice that is still!

Break, break, break,
At the foot of thy crags, O Sea!
But the tender grace of a day that is dead
Will never come back to me.

By Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Sunset and Evening Star (Crossing the Bar)

CROSSING THE BAR

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.

 

[2020hindsight]

I just twigged that Ossetia (Georgia) and Sevestopol (Ukraine) are just a few hundred kms (maybe 800) apart -
one the scene of the the recent Russian/ Georgian conflict,
the other the Charge of the Light Brigade .
(what the poms were doing there , Lord only knows)

- and for that matter Gallipoli / Gelibolu is just SW of Istanbul all pretty difficult to understand.

The Charge of The Light Brigade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4gTt6rptTU Charge Of The Light Brigade - Battle of Balaclava 2/2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBiUWQ5YLQ4

 

[noirua]

Hi 2020, yes, and due to the cold weather they invented the balaclava. It was made of thick wool and covered the whole head and face, with small holes for the eyes. That's what one of my Grandfathers told me, so it must be right.

There is a town in South Australia named after the battle of Balaclava. I believe a lot of Australians fought there?

 

[2020hindsight]

makes sense noi.

The missus has got me planting pumpkins (and other vegies) - sign of the times lol. My Filippino friend says they have a saying "just planting potatoes" - meaning you're down and temporarily out - even worse than rice (which they prefer).

PLANTING A PUMPKIN VINE FOR XMAS

I'm fattening a pumpkin for Xmas dinner
the family will formally dine,
some left-over gravox, with water for thinners
to take off that overnight shine,
and I'm stewing up all those old spud peelings
for an accompanying potato wine -
it tastes a lot like bathwater but
... at least the bath was mine.

 

[2020hindsight]

PLANTING A PUMPKIN VINE FOR XMAS

I'm fattening a pumpkin for Xmas dinner
the family will formally dine,
some left-over gravox, with water for thinners
to take off that overnight shine,
and I'm stewing up all those old spud peelings
for an accompanying potato wine -
it tastes a lot like bathwater but
... at least the bath was mine.

This beanstalk was sposed to be jet turbo-powered -
it's only about 3 foot high
by now I expected it spearing the clouds
and branching all over the sky,
I pictured myself on a gathering mission
with golden eggs in vast supply,
but first things first - beanstalks must get some nutrition
thus gold eggs on bullsh1t rely.

 

[noirua]

makes sense noi.

The missus has got me planting pumpkins (and other vegies) - sign of the times lol. My Filippino friend says they have a saying "just planting potatoes" - meaning you're down and temporarily out - even worse than rice (which they prefer).

PLANTING A PUMPKIN VINE FOR XMAS

I'm fattening a pumpkin for Xmas dinner
the family will formally dine,
some left-over gravox, with water for thinners
to take off that overnight shine,
and I'm stewing up all those old spud peelings
for an accompanying potato wine -
it tastes a lot like bathwater but
... at least the bath was mine.

Haven't grown pumpkins for ages. Keep feeding them every week, and you'll have giants. A neighbour did better than me once, so I bought two and tied them on to the failing plants.

 

[2020hindsight]

A SPIN-DOCTOR’S TAKE ON BEING ONE OF THE FOOLISH XXX BRAVE FEW TO BE STILL HOLDING SHARES

Editor's Note .. This is a pisstake, ok? - DYOR on when to get out or into the market lol (wish I had - got out that is).

Horatio came forward – I’ll defend this bridge alone
and a hundred more Horatios stood together made of stone
and they stood there unaffected by the panic in the ranks
and the stock market was sliding, but they turned it – AND the banks.

The days grew fierce and frightening, the Horatios held their ground
They watched the market (like Queen Mary) slowly turn around
And in time the rich came crawling back, the crisis had dispersed
The Horatios had won the day, and steered clear of the worst. .

Us few who held should maybe feel like Horatio in this game
while the capitalists among us, ran like rabbits (to their shame).
Cos, tell me how a man responds when panic fills his frame
watch this Horatio-lead-recovery ... then I’ll tell you that man’s name.

 

[2020hindsight]

THE G7 ETC MEETINGS.

G7, G10, G20 and so on,
a string of G meetings of deep furrowed men,
no parties at Scorer’s, and G strings and so on,
no bets on the GG’s they’re past tense amen.

these gatherings of G-men, these gobfuls of globals,
please find gimbol-mountings, some compass, some aim,
these storms that are whipping both peasants and nobles,
G-settle-the-ship, we’re C-sick-of-this-game!