ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Thanks to Frank for putting this together when it was posted on his site in '05

ALTOGETHER MATES
© croc /Ross Magnay 27/1/05

I was sitting, thinking, drinking, with a homebrew in my hand,
In the middle of Australia, ‘mongst the Spinifex and sand.
Looking out across the mulga, just as far as you can see,
there’s this great big land Australia, the only place for me!
Ross

It’s great red heart beats vibrant ‘neath an azure southern sky,
and the rivers run the life-blood so the living shall not die.
Skeletal mountain ranges, salt flat bush and gibber plains,
I drink a toast, ‘Australia’, and the name runs through my veins.
croc

From a campfire built from gidgee, to the west coast’s crashing sea,
From the east coast mighty ranges or wherever you may be,
Underneath the shining southern cross or northern stormy nights,
I love this rugged country, and its ever changing sights.
Ross

With pride as fierce as bushfire’s blaze, as powerful as flood,
I walk the tracks my forebears took, and stand where they once stood.
I meld my mind with natures forms; my breath becomes it’s air,
as I thank once more my deity for this my land so fair.
croc

And her people are a melting pot, of folk from far off lands,
who come to make this land their home, by sea or blood red sands,
and as the bloods amalgamate, we breed a brand new race,
a mob of dinkum Aussies, and we all love the place.
Ross

We’ve got gladdies in the garden and roses ‘round the door,
and we love to ‘beer and barbie’ with the folk who live next door.
My kids are learning Eskimo, and theyre teaching Nanuk slang;
We’re ‘all in all together mates, a happy Aussie gang.
croc

and today of course a special one, our celebration day,
being proud to be AUSTRALIAN, being allowed to have our say,
being proud of where we come from, and where we’re going to,
for we are dinkum Aussies mate we’re dinkum through and through!
Ross

Some of us are ‘outback’ folk, and some live in the towns,
and both lead different types of life; each has it’s ups and downs.
But I’m an Aussie ‘bushie’ mate, and may I truly say---
“I wouldn’t swap my way of life for all the townies pay”
croc
I wouldn’t give the spaces up, or neighbours that I know,
the unpolluted air above, the fertile ground below.
I could not give the freedom up, to walk just where I please,
‘cause I’m at home where red ‘roos bound, amongst the mulgas trees.
Ross

And when Australia day ‘round I feel a sense of pride;
It fires the boiling sentiments no Aussle cares to hide.
To all you rhyming bards I stand and raise my pint of beer;
Here’s to you mates and while I’m here, all have a great new year.
Merv

Brave Australian diggers fought like heroes to a man;
the young and old stood side by side and fought a battle plan
for the ‘green and gold’, the coat of arms, gold wattle with it’s sway,
they fought to gain the right to stand on this, Australia day.
croc

A sunset on the red sand, and the form of Uluru,
where folk fly in from far flung clime to dine with me and you,
on barbied lamb chops, sausages, and cans of ‘real cold beer’;
while we all remember well today, the humble pioneer.
croc

the blokes who trudged the unknown land, not knowing what’s ahead,
the blokes who crossed the mountains, and dunes so hot and red,
the women that went with them, to open up this land,
and those who built the cities, that now are big and grand.
Ross

I to will doff my hat to you, you’re where we all come from,
Irish, Scot or Europe, or even bloody Pom!
for we are forging well ahead, we love this place we live,
and like you people did for us, we’re happy we can give.
Ross

Love it - brilliant, descriptive, Australian - full of pride and love for your country. Exudes mateship and togetherness and the Aussie way of life.

Yep definitely love it

Cheers

Maureen

G/Day Ross,
That's a really good and well written poem and it connects well all the way through, if the names weren't there you could easily think it was written by one person. By the way who's Merv.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. and if that's a sample of joint authorship, there should be more of it.

Cheers Terry

G'day Maureen and Terry thanks for your comments, 'Merv' is Merv Webster he used to frequent the sites at one stage but he has been absent for awhile now, if you feel so inclined I am sure no-one would object to this sort of thing happening again. All you need to do is decide to do it, set a couple of rules if you want to and go for it, as I said, croc offered me the option of writing the first stanza which sets the pattern and style then we went one for one (mostly) from then on. You could pair up or have an open slather or have a set number of people who take it in turns, the options are endless........I will be too busy from now until after Xmas, you know the old saying, "It needs to be done before Xmas"...every tradesmans nightmare.

This is worth a re-run I reckon - even though croc's no longer with us I hope he doesn't mind me sharing it out again. It's a bonzer poem

Great collaboration, lumps and bumps and all.

croc mentions Uluru, but I'm sure I've heard Ross call it "Oolla-bloody-roo"

Marty

ps. and Rosscoe . . . no more "done before Christmas/Tradesman's nightmares" for you now ay

Your right on all fronts there Marty, I am in Alice at the moment actually but finished work until after Xmas.... ;u)

Oh what a lovely surprise!
Forgive my senility but who posted this today? And where are the poems from the 'old' site being accessed? I ask because lately some of croc's poems are popping up that I don't have on record, & if I can get my hands on any others I'd be over the moon.

I'll let you in on a little secret. When croc co-wrote that he would have been sitting up close to the wood burner to avoid 'freezing me bloody bunions orf!' He was smack bang in the middle of Pommyland... in the snow. The other thing is that I hadn't bashed his writing into order at that time. It was sometime in '05 when Ross & croc were the 'main' contributors to the site (of a very small member base) & one day I stuck my beak in saying 'can a sheila join in here?'........the rest is history. (God Bless Frank Daniel)

I dunno why Merv stuck his 2 bob's worth in. Perhaps he didn't realise that it was a joint Ross/croc project. He is a fine Christian fellow so I'm sure he would understand if his one stanza was placed to one side in order to keep the Ross/croc purity?? (Happy Christmas Merv.)

Cheeers
Glenny

Really sums it up Ross. It says to me "Aussie and proud of it." Great poem.
Wazza

Hi Glenny

I am not sure if you have had a go of using archive.org, but here is a link that will give you some of the poems that croc posted on Frank's old website:

http://web.archive.org/web/200609012158 ... ?tabid=723

Regards


John