THE FUTURE LIES IN THE PAST

[Jeff Thorpe]

THE FUTURE LIES IN THE PAST

The writing has been on the wall since Nineteen Twenty-Four
when Cobb & Co’s long reign at last became no more,
Yuleba to Surat, last route to carry mail,
Tommy Thompson drove the coach along the dusty trail.

Now, the same scenario is happening again
with delivery of mail a hard task to maintain.
Australia Post is losing money hand over fist
cause people who write letters are ceasing to exist.

Email, Facebook, Twitter now rule most interaction
letters, like phone landlines hold no satisfaction
so, it seems, we’re going back to Eighteen Thirty-Five
when Tom Cambridge, an early “Postie” was alive.

Tom delivered mail on three days per week
from Richmond to Windsor, a volunteer so to speak,
paid one penny per letter, a pittance one may say,
extremely different from Aus Post executives today.

Postage on a letter, seven pence in Tom’s day
soon, one full dollar, the price that will hold sway
enormous change in cost but, same delivery technique.
your postman will be seen on only three days per week.

Technology has once again asserted its authority,
accepted holus-bolus it appears by the majority,
almighty dollar as usual, pokes its nose in too,
profit before service, the motto of the coup.


Jeff Thorpe © 29 September 2015