The Mango Tree
The Mango Tree
A thinly disguised parody on "The Orange Tree"
The Mango Tree
The boy came rushing to my door;
He said: “Come see what I just saw!
A flyin’ fox it’s sure to be,
It’s hangin’ in your Mango Tree.”
I said: “Is it a fluffy thing?
A ghostly zephyr on the wing?
Does it in hard shoes do a jig?
Has it a mate in yonder fig?
And does it hum and flutter by
With just a tiny little cry
And cling with whiskers like a bee
Unto my tender Mango Tree?”
He said: “It’s just a flyin’ fox!
For brains I think that you’ve got rocks!
What’s all this ratbag nonsense talk?
Come shoot the thing ya stupid dork!”
I said:”But does it have blue eyes?
Does it caress you with its sighs
And does it send a yearning plea
Far from its precious Mango Tree?
Does with the leaves it play and fight?
Could anthracnose give it a fright?
Does sunlight on its eyelids fall?
Is it far wider than it’s tall?”
The boy said “It’s a flamin’ bat!
You’re talkin’ rubbish through ya hat!
Give me the gun and then you’ll see -
I’ll blast it from the Mango Tree.”
I whispered: “Does this furry ball
With sweetest voice a lover call
And does it hang upon a twig
And wear a powdered perfumed wig?
Does this small flying fuzzy fox
Write poetry that sooths and shocks?
Though smelly, could this mammal be,
The Shelley of the Mango Tree?”
The boy in anger took my gun
And to the Mango Tree did run;
He shot the bat ‘fore it could flee
And then chopped down my Mango Tree.
© Dennis N. O'Brien, 2012
The Mango Tree
The boy came rushing to my door;
He said: “Come see what I just saw!
A flyin’ fox it’s sure to be,
It’s hangin’ in your Mango Tree.”
I said: “Is it a fluffy thing?
A ghostly zephyr on the wing?
Does it in hard shoes do a jig?
Has it a mate in yonder fig?
And does it hum and flutter by
With just a tiny little cry
And cling with whiskers like a bee
Unto my tender Mango Tree?”
He said: “It’s just a flyin’ fox!
For brains I think that you’ve got rocks!
What’s all this ratbag nonsense talk?
Come shoot the thing ya stupid dork!”
I said:”But does it have blue eyes?
Does it caress you with its sighs
And does it send a yearning plea
Far from its precious Mango Tree?
Does with the leaves it play and fight?
Could anthracnose give it a fright?
Does sunlight on its eyelids fall?
Is it far wider than it’s tall?”
The boy said “It’s a flamin’ bat!
You’re talkin’ rubbish through ya hat!
Give me the gun and then you’ll see -
I’ll blast it from the Mango Tree.”
I whispered: “Does this furry ball
With sweetest voice a lover call
And does it hang upon a twig
And wear a powdered perfumed wig?
Does this small flying fuzzy fox
Write poetry that sooths and shocks?
Though smelly, could this mammal be,
The Shelley of the Mango Tree?”
The boy in anger took my gun
And to the Mango Tree did run;
He shot the bat ‘fore it could flee
And then chopped down my Mango Tree.
© Dennis N. O'Brien, 2012
Last edited by Dennis N O'Brien on Sat Sep 01, 2012 8:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Mango Tree
For years now, they have been arguing about what to do about flyingfoxes here in Singleton, meanwhile the presence of these creatures is becoming destructive and probably eventually a health issue.
Neville
" Prose is description, poetry is presence " Les Murray.
" Prose is description, poetry is presence " Les Murray.
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Re: The Mango Tree
Nasty boy
- I'm with you Dennis - I see the charm in their little furry faces. I know they are not perfect and do have some issues with them but over all love to see them flying over here every night just on dusk from their roosts on the river nearby. and still have the odd one or two feeding in my trees at night. Would never countenance their elimination although confess to having 3 huge palms removed from my yard which was becoming a favourite roost to eat palm nuts, as I was worried about Hendra virus with the dogs who in the morning took delight on chewing on the already bat chewed and then defecated nuts.
Great poem - love it.
Cheers
Maureen

Great poem - love it.
Cheers
Maureen
Check out The Scribbly Bark Poets blog site here -
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I may not always succeed in making a difference, but I will go to my grave knowing I at least tried.
http://scribblybarkpoetry.blogspot.com.au/
I may not always succeed in making a difference, but I will go to my grave knowing I at least tried.
Re: The Mango Tree
Yeah thanks for the comments folk - but to be honest
I was kinda takin' the p#ss out of "The Orange Tree" here.
Maybe I should have mentioned it. Sometimes I can be too subtle
as you all may have noticed.
I was kinda takin' the p#ss out of "The Orange Tree" here.

Maybe I should have mentioned it. Sometimes I can be too subtle
as you all may have noticed.

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Re: The Mango Tree
I was just about to ask if this was an update on Neville's beloved orange tree, but you beat me to the punch, Dennis. At last I'm starting to get some hang of what the orange tree is all about...maybe.
Stephen Whiteside, Australian Poet and Writer
http://www.stephenwhiteside.com.au
http://www.stephenwhiteside.com.au
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Re: The Mango Tree
Wonder if you could give a tarantula in a banana palm the same treatment?
Stephen Whiteside, Australian Poet and Writer
http://www.stephenwhiteside.com.au
http://www.stephenwhiteside.com.au
Re: The Mango Tree
Thanks Stephen. Yeah "The Orange Tree" seems to me to be about a strange kid
and an adult who's away with the fairies or else they are both tripping on acid.
Still if you want to be famous write something no one can understand and the "experts" will
spend years analyzing it and declaring what a genius you are - that's why I wrote "The Mango tree".
I'll file away that tarantula in the bananas idea.
and an adult who's away with the fairies or else they are both tripping on acid.

Still if you want to be famous write something no one can understand and the "experts" will
spend years analyzing it and declaring what a genius you are - that's why I wrote "The Mango tree".

I'll file away that tarantula in the bananas idea.

Re: The Mango Tree
[quote - Still if you want to be famous write something no one can understand and the "experts" will
spend years analyzing it and declaring what a genius you are - that's why I wrote "The Mango tree". [/quote]
"onya mate". Sheer genius.
Make your name and claim your fame.
Appropo the latest Brett Whiteley 'discovered' work in London, now to be hung in Aus.
Rubbish is still rubbish, in my mind, no matter who created it.
spend years analyzing it and declaring what a genius you are - that's why I wrote "The Mango tree". [/quote]
"onya mate". Sheer genius.
Make your name and claim your fame.
Appropo the latest Brett Whiteley 'discovered' work in London, now to be hung in Aus.
Rubbish is still rubbish, in my mind, no matter who created it.
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Re: The Mango Tree
That's quite a good go at a parody. I suppose I should have recognised it, I was assuming that the argument about bats was the main point and I missed the reference, that argument is a big issue in our town.
John Clarke alias Fred Dagg does some superb parodies of famous poems. My favourite is A Child's Christmas at Warrnambool by Dylan Thompson.
John Clarke alias Fred Dagg does some superb parodies of famous poems. My favourite is A Child's Christmas at Warrnambool by Dylan Thompson.
Last edited by Neville Briggs on Sat Jul 14, 2012 11:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
Neville
" Prose is description, poetry is presence " Les Murray.
" Prose is description, poetry is presence " Les Murray.
Re: The Mango Tree
Dylan Thompson . . . quote "Martyr to the turps, he frequently woke in unfamiliar circumstances and attempted to catch the speech rhythms of the sea" unquote.
Coming around the letterbox to an attacking field on Christmas Day in Warrnambool I reckon beats Wales anyday, Nev.
Marty
ps. enjoyed your poem, Dennis

Coming around the letterbox to an attacking field on Christmas Day in Warrnambool I reckon beats Wales anyday, Nev.
Marty
ps. enjoyed your poem, Dennis