ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

I was thrilled last night to learn I had won First Prize in the poetry section of the Bush Music Club Song, Tunes & Poetry competitions.

Entrants were invited to write poems that could also work well as song lyrics.

Here is my winning entry.


Australian Dreaming

You talk of old Australia, with the flooding rain and drought;
Of the shearer, of the drover; of the cook, the rouseabout;
You talk of paddle steamer, or of bullock team and dray;
It's the noisy, smoggy city where we congregate today.

You talk of red Australia, and the hulking Uluru;
Of the emu and the brolga, of the bounding kangaroo;
You talk of Kata Tjuta, like a buried monster’s spine.
It’s in the boutique restaurants we like to meet and dine.

You talk of white Australia, and the mountains capped with snow,
Where only hardy currawongs and wombats care to go;
Or hibernating possums fast asleep beneath a drift.
We like a bright skyscraper with a fast ascending lift.

You talk of blue Australia, with its narrow rim of sand,
Where breaching humpback whales provide performances so grand;
Whale sharks up at Ningaloo, or dolphins in the surf.
The bitumen and footpath offer more familiar turf.

You talk of green Australia, with the moss, the ferns, the trees;
The dew drops in the morning, and the cool and healing breeze;
The nesting cassowaries, or the stealthy thylacine,
But we prefer the steady purr of petrol-fuelled machine.

We don't think of Australia as we make our busy way
Through the surging hordes and traffic of another hectic day.
"No room for sentiment," we say, but all's not as it seems.
Australia comes, with scented gums, and greets us in our dreams.

© Stephen Whiteside 07.11.2013

That is a cracker Steve and I can see why it won.

A bottler beauty bonza Poem / song

Mate

Goodonya

Bob

Wow! Thanks, Bob.

Excellent and totally agree with Bob's comment.

True as your poem may be, the sad thing is that every modern city in the world could be any modern city in the modern world. They are all clones - it is only when we get ouside those concrete jungles that we see and appreciate the real differences. Many people today don't have any desire to know their own country, they are lured by the tourist ads that convince them that somewhere else is better. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence or at least perceived to be.

Congratulations Stephen, very well done indeed.

Terry

Thanks, Maureen and Terry.

Onya Doc, very apt.

Great to hear of Cassowaries and Thylacines.

Cheers, Marty

Quite excellent Stephen. I'd warrant it was your poem first and daylight second, it is such a good piece of writing.
Wazza

Thanks Marty, Wazza. Much appreciated.

That work deserves a first prize. No doubt at all. Well done Stephen! Would be worthwhile to have someone put the words to music.