ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Oh for a hill...

© Stephen Whiteside 04.02.2012

"Bush all round - bush with no horizon, for the country is flat. No ranges in the distance."
(The Drover's Wife - Henry Lawson)

Oh for a hill, just the faintest of rises;
That's all you need for a bunch of surprises;
Water that drains to a quaint little pool
That lies in a valley, refreshing and cool;

Bullrushes, lilies, small bushes and trees;
Shade when the heat is too many degrees;
Shade for the insects and shade for the birds,
Beauty that's tricky to render in words.

Spare me the flatlands that stretch far away
And leave my mouth dry at the height of the day.
Plains are a pestilence, silent and still;
Oh for a gradient, oh for a hill...

Ripper Stephen! Really like this...
Cheeers
Glenny

Thank you.

Love it Stephen. "The drovers Wife", one of my favorites.

Cheers
Sue

Thanks, Sue.

Back in 1982 I attended a work course in Sydney and there was a bloke there who had come from a place called Tocumwal. He said that he had a five year old daughter who had never seen a hill or rain.

G'day Stephen,

Lovely poem reminds me of the style of someone else but I'm not sure who, I'll try to get back to you on that one. Think it was some 'olde' English Blokee? mmm some sort of weapon in his name? can't bring it to mind just now.....

Great write regardless of my waffle.

Thanks.