ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

This is a quick sketch that I did of a young lady out in a western town of NSW.
She's the inspiration for my poem.

WILD AND FREE.


Dark eyed girl sits quiet on the path
outside the noisy pub,
her parents drink in there.
She wears a clean white blouse,
but no ribbon in her hair.

There once was a time,
when they roamed wild and free
from Dareton to Cunnamulla;
along the living rivers.
Now, home is the " mission",
they live by the pension,
it's ruin that welfare delivers.

Dark eyed girl sits by herself
outside the crowded pub,
her parents; drunk in there.
There is dust getting onto her blouse
and she hasn't brushed her hair.

Drawings Nice !!!


Bob

CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING THE FIRST TO POST & THE DRAWING IS TERRIFIC - getting the eyes right is always the hardest part or so I am told but you have real expression in the eyes of your drawing - love the shading under the eyes and around the mouth - you have shown another hidden talent Neville - thank you for sharing and I do hope you will share more of your sketches with us.

The old welfare argument raises its ugly head again - half of the problem I reckon probably more than half -truth to tell and lots of kids in a similar situation no doubt. Well captured all round

Cheers

Maureen

CON GRATS NEVILLE your poem and drawing has captured the sadness that cultured whites have destroyed the cultures out back.

bill williams

A lot of hidden meaning in this one Neville, well done. Great drawing as well, man of many talents.


SUE

Thanks for all the replies. Bob,very kind . Maureen, I appreciate your enthusiasm. Bill, I knew you would get it . Sue, I was hoping someone might look a bit more than the surface, good on you.
The picture was done in 1994 but I remember that little girl and her family. Her uncle, one day undid his shirt and I was amazed to see that he had on his chest the big stripes of tribal initiation scars.

Marty..The structure; rhyming/accentual-metre, on an Australian theme.

I prefer to call the structure , The Question. Which is; are you moved to compassion at the plight of Australian children who are going to get dragged down into the never ending intergenerational cycle of dysfunction and hopelessness. ?

Totally moved Neville and totally saddened that nothing seems to change and I know wheels grind slow. If wishes were horses......

You're right Maureen. Nothing changes. One thing I discovered out west is that freighting liquor to far west NSW towns is a multi-million dollar business and the millions of dollars of profit comes from the pockets of welfare recipients. And I found out what happens if you dare to challenge the legality and ethics of the profiteers.

Great to see some of your artwork Neville. Sad poem; a sad existence. If only we could turn back time hey?

Heather

Thanks Heather. It's very tragic..there are a lot of if onlys.