G'day - I'm King OLd Mate

[thestoryteller]

G'DAY - I'M KING, OLD MATE

We met him back in ninety eight
while touring in the bush.
He said "G'day! I'm King, old mate,
I've lived life 'round the push.
My handle was the banking game,
but gave it all away.
You see, I found there's more to life -
that's happiness each day.

And now I work with Dawn all day -
the kids all lend a hand.
The Homestead is a fam'ly thing
and life is really grand.
I meet all kind of folk out here,
made friends with quite a few
and “By the way, old mate" he said,
"What is it that you do?" "

"We like to stand around a fire
of gidyea coals," I said,
"and share with folk a verse or yarn
to show the bush ain't dead."
"That right!" he said, "sounds good to me,
why don't you do it here.
With damper and some billy tea,
corn beef and all that gear?"

Yes that is how our friendship grew
from that day down to this
and shar'in that old kar key yarn
is something that I'll miss.
You left us kind of sudden mate
which blew us all away,
but ev'ry time the billy boils
we'll hear you say, "G'day!"


While performing our show at Windorah for the 50th Anniversary of the bridge over Coopers Creek, news came to Chris and me of Kingsley’s death. I wrote this under the cotton tree the morning of his funeral. Tom Lockie read it at the service. I later recited it to all who came back and sat around the campfire at the 'Homestead’ where we had billy tea and damper. It was always Kingsley’s favourite time of the day.

© Merv Webster

From the book You're Joking! Milk in Billy Tea.