ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

MEMORIES OF THE CROSS ....Maureen Clifford © The #ScribblyBark Poet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZyqxMWE9oo

I read the prompts and nothing gels and yet ... Come on! It can't be hard
to string together words to write a poem fitting of a bard
with years of rhyming poetry and writing any time of day.
"Give it a go " her muse did cry "Give it a go and simply play."
.....
She recalled back in the sixties living near the Cross - So long ago.
Frequenting all the coffee bars and pubs and seeing Les Girls Show
and Carlotta - the legendary Queen Of The Cross, Carol Spencer,
femme fatale, performer, and quick repartee dispenser.

This bright dynamic showman kept the Friday crowds enthralled
and even now at seventy the memory has never palled.
Richard inspired 'Priscilla' , played a Beauty in a TV game,
and Arnold's girl in Number 96 but none there told his name.

Transgender in the sixties was beyond the pale - daring , bizarre
and God forbid that anybody even thought Gay Mardi Gras....
they'd sing soprano in July. And dykes on bikes weren't on the scene
although one sometimes spotted sheilas who looked rather tough and mean.

Still in her mind those misty water coloured memories hold sway.
A flower child of the swinging sixties, life was fun and always gay.
The Shangri-La's were singing 'bout The Leader of the Pack,
the Delltones , surfing, hangin' five and somewhere there's a Sugar Shack

a coffee house made out of wood. Popular. Its espresso
tasted mighty good, said the 'girls' from the cabaret show
who sat chatting as the DJ played the morning melodies
as El Alamein fountain's spray drifted towards the trees.

A very colourful account Maureen. I used to have to do the beat on some Saturday nights along Palmer St and Liverpool St, I hated every minute of it. Can't stand the place.

Different perspectives I suppose Neville - I always rather liked Kings Cross despite its sleazy, garish exterior - in the 60's it was alive and we used to travel in from Cronulla on Saturday nights to catch a bit of the vibrancy - often just sitting on the edge of the fountain watching the world go by...we didn't have 2 bob to rub together in those days but we usually got a pizza from a little shop up near the Coco Cola sign and would have a coffee in the Fishbowl

A fun filled poem that takes us back down memory lane (Did anyone actually watch no Number 96 ?)
Just about covered all the prompts as well Maureen

Cheers Terry

I was a No 96 Aficionado Terry I'm sure that will surprise you (not) "Why wasn't I told" - I hear you ask.

Definitely a different perspective and extremely imaginative use of your prompts, Maureen!

Amazing creativity this week

Cheers, Shelley

I remember the Cross in the late 70's.
I dated a guy who played piano accordion in a little Italian restaurant there.
Loved sitting and watching the colourful people pass by.

I must get on with my contribution.
Loving the different uses of the prompts, would never have thought of an actual swing
for the 'king of swing' - clever Nev!

I wasn't allowed to watch No. 96 (cos I was too young).

Heather

Yeah me to H

Pfffft - you two still got the nappy marks on your bum I was married at 16 I watched what I wanted when I wanted We moved to Sydney with a new baby when I was 17 - no money, no family support and no back up of any kind and a husband working 2 jobs and me working as well just to keep our heads above water. Our entertainment was getting in the car and driving - mainly to put the baby to sleep as he was colicky all the time. We often ended up at Kings Cross just for the entertainment value of the goings on there - some nights we would end up at Parramatta, or Liverpool, even out to Palm Beach (before Home and Away took over) - that was back in the days when Petrol was cheap and a VW economical to run.