ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Did a little field research yesterday.



You Can’t Get Pies at Kevington

You can’t get pies at Kevington.
It’s too far down the road.
You can buy pies at Jamieson.
They get a constant load,
And also at Mt. Buller
They frequently are stowed,
But you can’t get pies at Kevington.
It’s too far down the road.

Wood’s Point doesn’t get them.
Nor does Gaffneys’ Creek.
Both these tiny mining towns
Must turn the other cheek.
The outlook at the A1
Is exceptionally bleak,
And you can’t get pies at Kevington.
It’s too far down the road.

Mansfield gets a ton of pies –
As many as they need.
They truck them up the highway
With efficiency and speed.
Bonnie Doon and Yarck and Yea
From pielessness are freed,
But you can’t get pies at Kevington.
It’s too far down the road.

© Stephen Whiteside 27.05.2013

Now we know.

Yes, this poem is a bit like that isn't it, Neville.

I went on a long drive yesterday with my son, through some pretty remote country (yes, Victoria has remote country, too!).

There was no food for sale in the small towns of Wood's Point and Gaffney's Creek, so it was after 4 by the time we reached a shop that sold food - at Jamieson - and I was able to buy my son some breakfast.

They sold Boscastle pies, which was pretty cool, really. The bloke behind the counter told us that he had rung the rep for a delivery, and he turned out to be an old friend from school. They deliver pies all along the Maroondah Highway through Yea, Yarck, Bonnie Doon and Mansfield - all the way to Mount Buller - but Jamieson, Kevington, etc., are all off the highway, and therefore got no pies. The fact that the Boscastle man and the Jamieson man had been to school together - and also the fact, I imagine, that Jamieson is the first of the towns down this relatively minor road, means that they get pies now but Kevington and the others don't.

The poem doesn't make a lot of sense without this back story, and probably doesn't make a lot more sense even with it!

Ah Stephen ya old pie eater you.

When you can not get one is when you desire it the most Mate !


Liked the poem as well.


Bob

They musn't have a local footy team around Kevington Stephen. Meat pies and footy matches. Doesn't get any better than that.
Wazza

Thanks, Bob.

Maybe not, Wazza. They do have a shooting range beside the road at Gaffney's Creek. They put up helpful signs saying something to the effect of 'watch out for stray bullets'. I guess it makes their insurers happy.

So get your pies before you get to Kevington. Enjoyed the poem Stephen.

Heather

Or after, depending on whether you are travelling north or south. Thank you, Heather.

You think of everything Stephen!

Ha ha ha.Another one that gives me the buzz. Perhaps a new genre....PiePoetry...has been born

A lot of negatives lately are cancelled out by good humour.

Mal