ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

My homework poem this week is a tribute to all of you wonderful writers (whether born in Australia or not) who look below the surface and bring the tales of Australia to life - especially the untold ones! It is also an answer to those who ask, "Why do you write about old and dead history?"

Drink Deep
(c) Shelley Hansen 18/6/18

You think you know this land of ours, the country of your birth -
the textbooks have informed you of its agony and mirth.
The stories of our folklore may be etched upon your mind,
but have you sensed within your heart the depth that lies behind?

You've read about the shipwrecks on the Southern Ocean track,
but have you felt the pull of raging water, wild and black?
You dream of shady lanes, but have you trekked the desert trail
beneath an unforgiving sky, where strength and vigour fail?

A fluttering of wings disturbs the wattle's green and gold,
but have you watched it cling to life throughout the bitter cold
or seen it bow in black defeat when faced with bushfire threat
to be reborn and rise again through days of dry and wet?

Oh, you who tell the stories - why be satisfied with light
like yellow gleam of candles, when you could be shining bright
illuminating beacons on our true and untold tales
that bring to life the ghosts of men whose legend never pales?

The ink has dried, and pages may seem old and dull at first,
but take them from their dusty shelves - drink deep to quench your thirst,
and let the living river of imagination flow -
preserving for posterity the things we all should know.

Applause! Applause! Oh my! Well done you Shelley, that is fabulous. You have woven a wonderful story from those prompts. And I partiularly liked this line ...

have you trekked the desert trail
beneath an unforgiving sky, where strength and vigour fail?

Stirring stuff my friend. Very well crafted.

Very good Shelley. I agree, our stories about our experiences are an important legacy.
There was a famous artist ( I can't remember the name ) who berated his students for depicting stories from other places, mainly Greek and Roman mythology. He advised them to tell their own stories about themselves and their own place.
It is sad that in Australia it seems that a lot of people know more about American stories than Australian, it would be a glimmer of hope if the bush poets were able to change this, ever so slightly I guess. .

Thanks so much Maureen and Neville.

Wow, Maureen - that is high praise. I know that you and I share this interest in preserving Australia's heritage of wonderful stories - and I think it is so important that we continue to do so. Funnily enough, it was your "drink deep" prompt that got me thinking. I remembered those lines from Alexander Pope's poem: "A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.” That got me thinking about all of the hidden stories that we find when we "dig deep" into the Aussie past - and also how people who think it is all just "dead history", and are content with skimming the surface, are missing out on so much!

Neville, you are so right. Henry Lawson lamented the lack of Australian knowledge in his day. He said, "It is a matter of public shame that while we have now commemorated our hundredth anniversary, not one in every ten children attending Public schools throughout the colonies is acquainted with a single historical fact about Australia." Mmm ...

I don't know if it was Hans Heysen who was the artist who encouraged his students to paint what they knew, but on his return to Australia after studying art in Europe, I read somewhere that he looked at the Australian sky, the Australian gum trees, and knew that he had to create a uniquely Australian voice through his art. Which of course, he did! "I paint what I see," he said. Good advice for all of us, whether we paint with brushes or pens.

Cheers
Shelley

This is a lovely poem Shelley
Imploring that we don't forget our history or the pioneers who made it.
It has long worried me that there has been a concerted effort to bury our past,
and forget the courage that went into making this country what it is to-day
Well worth extending this into whatever you wish - I really enjoyed reading this.

Cheers Terry

Thanks so much Terry ... I might just expand this one ... you never know ...

Oh, this is a fantastic poem Shelley - well done! The 'drink deep' got me going too, and as so often happens, we've gone down a semi-similar track with our thoughts...I love this poem - well done!

Thank you Catherine ... can’t wait to read yours ...