ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

A true story.


COBBER

Many years have passed on by now, since I met him that first day;
he was camped beneath some gimlet trees out Eucalyptus way.
As I shook his hand in greeting I had sensed the sadness then,
I had seen it in his eyes that day; and often would again.

He was one of life true battlers; I suppose you’d have to say
and he said his name was Cobber and his home was far away.
He enjoyed the peace he’d found out here with nature all around
and was scratching out a living with the gold he sometimes found.

He was also on the dole at times when gold was hard to find,
but his needs were pretty basic, when his stars were not aligned.
He appeared to keep much to himself as far as I could see,
though he sometimes came on over and would have a chat with me.

It was two or three months later and the night was bitter cold;
we were sitting by my campfire when his story had been told.
And I sensed it was relief on finding someone he could tell,
how the years of mental torment made his life a living hell.

He’d been married only weeks before he lost his darling wife,
she had been his childhood sweetheart and had known her all his life.
They had learned she had leukemia just after they were wed
and in less than six weeks from that day, his darling wife was dead.

He then wiped an errant tear away while hoping I’d not know;
blokes like him would hate it if some sort of weakness was to show.
He had quickly changed the subject then regretting what he’d said,
but the pain still shone within his eyes; I knew his heart still bled.

Some may say you must move on and leave your troubles far behind,
but such words are often wasted on a hurt and troubled mind.
Many have a cross to carry; some seem harder still to bear
and I felt that Cobber’s one, weighed really heavily out there.

*****

© T.E. Piggott

congrats a truly Terry heart stopping story

bill the old battler

Thanks Bill
The goldfields of WA seemed to attract more than its fair share of lost souls,
I ran into quite a few of them over the years.

I must write up a yarn about Cobber, as there is much more to tell about him that the poem covers.

Cheers mate

Terry

Enjoyed that Terry. You knew him?
Wazza

Thanks Wazza

Yes he was camped just down the track from Val and I for a while one year.
Actually he'd pinched one of my favourite summer camping spots - we had to find another one.
He had a really ancient detector and a rough old camp, it surprised me that he ever found anything.
The nearest town was 100 clicks down the track.

He was one of those people that misfortune seems to follow and further heartache lay ahead.

Cheers Terry

Great poem Terry, proving again that outside appearances can be so deceptive. So many people have a story to tell, if we just listen.

Cheers, Shelley

Poor Cobber - that is indeed a tragic cross to bear. Thanks for sharing his story in rhyme Terry. It makes you think again about how there are so many sad situations people may be going through of which others are completely unaware.

Thanks Shelley & Catherine

It probably should have been told as a yarn.

It reminds me of a humorous yarn I was supposed to write for a mate, but for some reason I ended up writing a poem,
he doesn't let me forget it either.

Terry

Not sure about that Terry. It would have made a good yarn but I think it makes a better poem. It's the sort of story that lends itself to verse.

Hi Shelley

This was written some time ago, so perhaps it's worth having another look at it;

I suppose most writers are like me and have a number of sort of half finished poems,
that were put aside for one reason or another.
Every now and again I go through mine again, and occasionally decide to try to finish or at least improve one.

Cheers Terry