The Bird Band

Tags

Australian birds, Australian bush poetry, Australian bush poets, australian formal poetry, Australian poet, Australian traditional poetry, bird band, Formal poetry, poem, poetry

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐝

One evening walking through the scrub,
(A shortcut home from Riley’s pub.)
Under the glow of a full moon,
I heard a brisk and lively tune.

I looked around, and there I saw
Upon that moonlit forest floor,
A pumpin’ out a chorus grand,
A finely feathered all bird band.

And all around on stumps and logs
Sat kangaroos and native dogs,
And emus swaying to the beat
Jumped up and down and stamped their feet.

Echidnas danced Irish quadrilles
While skillfully avoiding quills.
Goannas flicked in time their tongues,
While in the band with bursting lungs

Black glossy red-tailed cockatoos
In harmony sang out the blues.
On ukuleles magpies strummed.
A flock of honey-eaters hummed.

With twelve apostles on the drums,
The beat it echoed from the gums,
While lyre birds serenely played.
(They’re known for being rather staid).

A bell bird rang his built in chime.
A whip bird cracked his whip in time.
A kookaburra, with a smile,
On his guitar played finger-style.

I stayed a while, then home to bed
With music coursing through my head.
I woke and wondered had I dreamed.
Outside my window, moonlight beamed,

And all was quiet and nothing stirred.
I listened hard but nothing heard.
No, not a noise of fur or fowl,
Except — the hooting of an owl.

— D.N. O’Brien

Anti-Gun Culture (an ANZAC Day sonnet)

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Anti-gun movement, ANZAC Day, australian formal poetry, Australian poet, Australian traditional poetry, Gun culture, poem, poetry, sonnet, Spenserian sonnet

“So you have guns – my god, you must be nuts!
I couldn’t bring myself to hunt and kill,
For I’m allergic to all blood and guts,
And when I see it, down my spine a chill
It travels, and I have to take a pill.
I think all senseless shooting should be banned.
I’ll campaign for disarmament until
There’s not a single gun throughout the land.
If necessary, from your cold dead hand
I’ll take your gun if you will not comply.
This is my cause – I hope you understand.”
“Your threat is clear – and yes, I’d rather die;
My life and liberty I owe to guns
Once wielded by my country’s bravest sons.”

Vercingetorix

Tags

Ancient Rome, australia traditional poetry, australian formal poetry, Battle of Alesia, Battle of Gergovia, Formal poetry, Gallic Tribes, Gaul, Julius Caesar, Roman Triumph, Vercingetorix

Armed with spear and bow and sword,
So advanced the Gallic horde.
At Gergovia struck a blow;
Laid the Roman legions low.
At Alesia – fortified,
There the legions, they defied;
But besieged by Roman might,
Weakened, they gave up the fight.
Vercingetorix the bold,
On his horse adorned with gold,
Swiftly then to Caesar went;
Rode a circle round his tent,
Then dismounted at his feet,
Flung his armour, took his seat
On now uncontested ground;
Looked to Caesar, made no sound.
So to Rome he was conveyed;
In captivity he stayed.
Soon, said Caesar: “While he lives,
To the tribes, false hope he gives.
He, to Rome, no loyalty feigns,
At my Triumph, bound in chains,
Let this King, to all the Gauls,
Show how low their saviour falls;
Then to foil his Gallic tricks,
Strangle, Vercingetorix.

An Axe Attack

Tags

australian formal poetry, Australian poet, Australian traditional poetry, Bashar Assad, ISIS, Islamic State, islamic Terrorism, jihad, poem, poetry, Spenserian sonnet, Syria, Syrian attack, Tomahawk missile attack

Assad it seems has been cut down to size;
With tomahawks they’ve given him the chop.
And only time will tell if this was wise
And whether further limbs they’ll have to lop.
(Once pruning starts it can be hard to stop)
Will weakening Assad pay dividends? –
America’s now playing the world’s cop –
But backing crazies? – Oops! I mean our friends!
Well was this justified? Well it depends:
The Russians say the rebels were the cause,
But Trump’s attack the White House now defends.
Miscalculations sometimes lead to wars;
It’s best to know the truth before one acts –
Let’s hope Trump’s in possession of the facts.

Fake Weather News

Tags

australian formal poetry, Australian poet, Australian traditional poetry, Brisbane minor flooding, Cyclone Debbie, Exaggeration of weather events, Fake weather news, Irrational behaviour, Media weather reporting hysteria, poem, poetry

It’s a sign! It’s an omen! – We’re all gunna die!
Look up! Don’t you see? There’s a cloud in the sky!
Soon rains, quite torrential, will soak to our skins,
And wild winds will blow us to Hell for our sins.

This May Take a While

Tags

Age of the Earth, australian formal poetry, Australian poet, Australian traditional poetry, Creation, Creation theory, evolution, Man's time on Earth, poem, poetry, Theory of Evolution

Four billion years the Earth has been around?
For almost all that time no sight or sound
Of man? – No creature walked upon the ground
Who could appreciate this Eden found?
No thinker that its wonders could astound?
With patience all creators must abound.

Who Done It?

Tags

australian formal poetry, Australian traditional poetry, islamic Terrorism, Islamization, jihad, Jihadists, limerick, Limerick poem, Limerick poetry, London terror attack, poem, poetry, Spenserian sonnet

A terrorist attack! – who could it be?
The Seventh Day Adventists spring to mind,
But there are lots of others – let me see –
The Buddhists? No, I doubt that they’re inclined
To knife or shoot – they’re really much too kind.
But what about the Mormons? – maybe they
Are angry. (in the past they’ve been maligned)
The Hindus? – they could rise up any day,
And so too could the Catholics – how they pray!
Are Protestants more likely to rebel?
Perhaps, but it’s too early yet to say.
It may be Hari Krishnans – who can tell?
I’m running out of suspects – Sikhs perhaps?
Or could it be Confucians – Chinese chaps?

Vale Bill Leak

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australian formal poetry, Australian poet, Australian traditional poetry, Bill Leak cartoonist, Bill Leak dies, Bill Leak persecuted, poem, poetry, Spenserian sonnet

His weapons were his satire and his art,
Fused brilliantly with intellect and skill.
Against all those who would drive us apart
He laboured on with an unwavering will.
Unleashed his wit with words and brush and quill,
Creating scenes that only he could draw.
Into a picture Bill Leak could distil
A statement that would strike right at the core
Of issues that the mainstream would ignore.
Entered the left, who saw him as a threat –
Free speech? No! We must stop him – this is war!
Socialist warriors! – your daggers whet!
But no racist was he – there was no crime;
Just works of a great artist of our time.

{Bill Leak 1956 – 10/03/2017 – RIP}

Death of Bill Leak

Gettin’ a bit Dry

Tags

Australian bush poetry, australian formal poetry, Australian poet, Australian understatement, drought, laconic humour, limerick, Limerick poem, Limerick poetry, poem, poetry, Red-bellied black snake

The lizards are dyin’ of thirst,
And the red-bellied blacks – that’s a first.
All the cattle are dead
And the roos have all fled;
What we need is a flamin’ cloudburst.

Rights

Tags

australian formal poetry, Australian traditional poetry, Formal poetry, poem, poetry

Your rights, young fellow, you demand;
But rights to food and shelter and
The right to liberty and land –

By your forefathers, these were won;
By sacrifice, and by the gun.
Young man, take heed, be thankful son;

Such rights as you enjoy are rare.
Your rights? Observe what others bear;
Those with but one – to breathe the air.