Poems for NeoGirl

[laura]

OK so we kind of hijacked Neogirl's 'you and your job' thread with poem suggestions. So post poems here instead.

[The InnFORCEr]

THE MAN FROM IRONBARK by Banjo Paterson (1864 - 1941)

[laura]

Clancy of the Overflow

I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better
Knowledge, sent to where I met him down the Lachlan years ago;
He was shearing when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him,
Just on spec, addressed as follows, "Clancy, of The Overflow."

And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected
(And I think the same was written with a thumb-nail dipped in tar);
'Twas his shearing mate who wrote it, and verbatim I will quote it:
"Clancy's gone to Queensland droving, and we don't know where he are."

In my wild erratic fancy, visions come to me of Clancy
Gone a-droving "down the Cooper" where the Western drovers go;
As the stock are slowly stringing, Clancy rides behind them singing,
For the drover's life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.

And the bush has friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him
In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,
And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plain extended,
And at night the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars.

I am sitting in my dingy little office, where a stingy
Ray of sunlight struggles feebly down between the houses tall,
And the foetid air and gritty of the dusty, dirty city,
Through the open window floating, spreads it foulness over all.

And in place of lowing cattle, I can hear the fiendish rattle
Of the tramways and the buses making hurry down the street;
And the language uninviting of the gutter children fighting
Comes fitfully and faintly through the ceaseless tramp of feet.

And the hurrying people daunt me,and their pallid faces haunt me
As they shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste,
With their eager eyes and greedy, and their stunted forms and weedy,
For townsfolk have no time to grow, they have no time to waste.

And I somehow rather fancy that I'd like to change with Clancy,
Like to take a turn at droving where the seasons come and go,
While he faced the round eternal of the cash-book and the journal
But I doubt he's suit the office, Clancy, of The Overflow.


-A. B. Paterson

Not a poem but ANZAC relevant:
In World War I, Paterson tried unsuccessfully to become a correspondent covering the fighting in Flanders, but did become an ambulance driver with the Australian Voluntary Hospital, Wimereux, France. He returned to Australia early in 1915 and, as an honorary vet, travelled on three voyages with horses to Africa, China and Egypt. He was commissioned in the 2nd Remount Unit, Australian Imperial Force on 18 October 1915. (Wikipedia)

[laura]

A Classic...

WALTZING MATILDA

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Down came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong,
Up got the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Down came the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Up came the troopers, one, two, three,
"Who's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?"
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
"Who's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Up got the swagman and jumped into the billabong,
"You'll never catch me alive," said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"

-A. B. Paterson

There are no "official" lyrics to "Waltzing Matilda", and slight variations can be found in different sources.[5] This version incorporates the famous "You'll never catch me alive said he" variation introduced by the Billy Tea company. Paterson's original lyrics referred directly to 'drowning', which the tea company felt was too negative.

[travelling_gerry]

Quiz: What was the jolly swagmans first name?

[The InnFORCEr]

Quiz: What was the jolly swagmans first name?

To easy TG......it's Andy

What do I win???

[Scotty]

Quiz: What was the jolly swagmans first name?

JediKnight?

[Ecky]

Quiz: What was the jolly swagmans first name?

I thought everyone knew it's Andy!

Andy sang as he watched & waited 'til his billy boiled

(potential homo-erotic overtones here, depending on whether the "billy" that was about to "boil" was a chap called Billy)

[The InnFORCEr]

I thought everyone knew it's Andy!

Andy sang as he watched & waited 'til his billy boiled

Andy sang, Andy watched, Andy waited 'til his billy boiled

[Happy]

Wonder if Billy was keen on Andy

[Happy]

The Long Weekend

Summertime toasted
Marshmellows roasted
many grapes eaten off the vine.

Sun kissed skin
the taste of gin
a DUI and $225 speeding fine.

[NeoGirl]

Keep the poems comin' in people. If you're wondering why I need one, it's for a stupid school thing.

[NeoGirl]

Clancy of the Overflow

Don't worry, I just need the teachers to think that it's a real poem

[oxleymoron]

Mulga Bill's bicycle

[joblot]

Keep the poems comin' in people. If you're wondering why I need one, it's for a stupid school thing.

I could give you an unexpurgated version of Eskimo Nell though I don't think you would get too many marks with it.