ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

I wrote this in memory to POP CHARLES a family friend who had a Saw mill at Woodspoint Victoria

Our Country Now

In valleys deep, and mountains high,
an old man stood beneath the sky.
Thinking of years of logging camps,
Of a misty mill and boggy ramps.

Of lofty mountains amongst the hills,
where once stood giant trees so still.
Shook from axe’s then tumbling down,
to logging tracks, that wanders around.

Now light now comes to shine upon,
where cooling shade has forever gone.
To which a summers glare now prevail,
These things are gone and people wail.

We did our job and we did not fail,
wood for houses, fences, rails.
We did our job, nor did we gripe.
But you people cry, and scream out rape.

They call us vandals that pillage and take,
but remember people, those that scream out rape.
Those who want kitchens, furniture, and reams,
of paper towels and news print it would seem.

That nappies now are in the past,
there's toilet paper to wipe you’re a*se.
So don't you scream you greedy folks?
we only cut, what you folks want .


Written by Bill Williams ©

What not one comment

We must have all been gobsmacked Bill because nearly every line rhymed

Seriously you make a good point and put up a good argument...we are I suspect all guilty of buying things that have had detrimental effect on others or on nature. My pet peeve at the moment is palm oil.

In the interests of politeness you might consider using something like this instead


Cloth nappies now are long forgotten
Newsprint not used to wipe your bottom

or

Cloth nappies now defunct I fear
as is newsprint to clean your rear



I mean to say Bill using Ar*e on a public forum shows a marked lack of class

I reckon if you polished this one as Zondrae would say it has the chance to achieve a deep lustre - you are nearly there with it.

Cheers

Maureen

Thank you Maureen but that word does both impart truth and impact attention to the statement

Bill the old battler

Hello William Williams, brain opens times past, James James Morrison Morrison; AA Milne poem,
Any way, thank you for the lovely romp through the forest.

The loggers picked the timber by the look of each tree they cut down. The woodsman know that the forest is alive and to keep it alive they practiced, and still do practice best craft. Our mate Dan, in Maryborough, Queensland is standing with his fellow woodsman fighting to stay harvesting the crops. They cannot stay in business if they did not care for the trees. People who gripe, snipe and complain, have never had to cut down a tree to build a home, they live in houses, or flats that spread over the plains, and go to the builders choosing bricks, tiles and stone.

May there always be trees, and with woodsmen, teaching apprentices that always will be.


Worddancer

G'day Bill. A lot of passion there. I think you have done a good job with putting in strong sentences, lots of action which I think livens up the verse.

The thing I dislike is seeing timber being thrown into landfill. We had a lady here who ran a business selling used timber and the big hardware store squeezed her out of business, now they hardly have any useful timber.

I think you have made a real effort here Bill and as maureen said a little bit of polish would see it come up a treat. Couple of rhymes where you could change the setence and still get the same effect.

Can you picture the kids of today useing old newspaper cut into squares ??????


Not on your Nellie.

Thanks Bill