I'm a bit bushed.

[Neville Briggs]

We have had this 'vigorous' discussion about the flavour of bush poetry. It leaves me a bit bemused. I can't imagine why we need to worry about trying to work out what bush means because, no-one knows, no-one can know and I think never will ,because increasingly topographical distinctions in this country are becoming decidely indistinct.
For example are the horse events at the Sydney Easter Show, bush ? Is the Pizza Hut at Mount Isa, bush ? The big B Doubles roll through the urban streets these days. Urban streets are full of four wheel drive bush bashers. Country towns have franchise stores like McDonalds, Eagle Boys,Noni B and Wendy's donuts, and the rural petrol stations are owned by Woolworths and Coles. My conclusion is that a discussion of bush content in our verse is a non-event.

Now a discussion of poetic content, that's a different matter.

I thought about this because two of our members Marty and Sue put a couple of short pieces in the homework which I think are very good and show an understanding of what the "poetic voice " might be.

I think we should examine our bush " poetry" to see if it looks like just stories, jokes and messages set out in verse and rhyme. Ask ourselves if what we write is of such a style as to be better off simply set out in prose. Prose in metre and rhyme is hardly any more distinguished than the feeblest " free verse "
Does rhyming make poetry? Would some of our verse would be much more interesting and engaging if it was done as essays or short stories ? I think we need to think a lot about these issues. And if we want to be bush, do we use phrases and expressions that no ordinary rural person would ever think of; just for the sake of fitting the supposed all important rhyme.
( Yes, I ask myself these questions )

The Scottish poet Robbie Burns wrote a " bush " poem about plowing on a farm and how he had disturbed a mouse's nest with the plow. This poem is very very famous. Even in the Sydney Domain there is a large sculpture depicting Robbie Burns standing next to a plow with the mouse's nest in front of the plowshare.
Is this poem famous because of it's rural theme, resonating with the country folk ? No , no, no not at all. The poem is famous for these lines
" The best laid plans of mice and men
Often go awry "
I reckon it's a safe bet that most people don't know of the poem, it's story or it's title or even it's author. But who has not heard the aphorism " the best laid plans of mice and men " ?
See what I mean?
It's not the story. Or even the setting. It's the power of language.
That's what poetry is.

I think we need to learn that lesson, or bush poetry will not survive. Keeping
some supposed purity of theme won't keep it alive. In the history of the arts, purity of theme or form has always been a recipe for failure.

What made me think of bush poetry becoming moribund was how over this last weekend hardly anyone posted anything on this forum, and we seem to constantly lose contributers, some of which I thought were very good. I miss them and wonder why they have seemingly lost interest.

My latest ramblings. Now you can beat me up.

[mummsie]

Well put Neville. I see where you're coming from. For many people poetry appeals to them because of it's humour content or the way it's story connects with them. For me a good poem is one where the words within that poem ignite something within us. Terry's latest poem "THE GOLD SEEKERS" does exactly that for me. But, I struggle to get that across in my writing. As Irene stated recently, if the feeling doesn't come to you, [and lets face it, we all have writing droughts]you can't force it. Maybe that's why nothing was posted over the weekend. You may have noticed the time I posted my piece in the workshop, the wee small hours, when I was having trouble sleeping and just had to put something on paper.
If I sat down to do it now, it probably would'nt happen. It's these moments we seem better able to capture those "poetical" words of meaning your talking about. Just wish they'd come more often.
Personally, I don't worry whether it's bush or not, if it appeals I read it [and will sometimes go back to it time and again] if not, I push it to the side. That's what I like about this site, the diversity and technique each one of us shows in our writing.

Cheers
Sue

[Neville Briggs]

Thanks Sue, and I was very interested in your comment in the workshop that you didn't really know why you did it. I know writing verse is a mechanical slog, but I think there also needs to be that indefinable vague thought of wanting to say something in a certain way that just can't be easily explained. I think that's what you meant. I agree.

[mummsie]

That's what's so wonderful about writing poetry Neville. Sometimes there's no explanation for what we write.

Cheers
Sue

[william williams]

Well I know I’m gunna get me ar***e kicked and you know something, I don’t give a dam
There has been arguments about Bush poetry. Some of it is right and a lot is wrong 95% of you writers and readers live in the city or semi rural scene and have never lived or survived in the real Australian bush and yet you write as if you do. Your milk and meat comes in the shops just like most things today.
You travel for several hours towards the bush then return back home and say that you have been to the bush BULL CRAP.
You can get floods in the city and dam hot days.
But very few of you people have ever seen bushfires creeping towards you and worrying if you will survive let alone your sheep and cattle that may burn to death or stave because the fire has consumed their feed and the you will starve yourself for there is no income.
Or flooded in for days and watch fences disappear in the floods and watch your stock drown and curse the mud that drags you down to a slow crawl.
Yes we too welcome a warm day and to hear the cry of a new born calf or lamb and hear the laughter of our children and friends that surround us when we are at our small community but often we are miles apart from each other for most of the time.
But even then we are not really in the True Bush where cars cannot go but only your legs or a horses, can go.
That is the Australian bush though it is dwindling fast sadly through so called progress which we cannot stop but let us try, and tell the city masses about what is there, before it is to late.
Our forbearers did Paterson, Lawson, Gordon, Denis, Mackellar along with many others
They told about how it was in their days so why can’t we tell it like it is in our days in the Rural, and Australian Bush with odd journeys into the city.


Bill the old battler

[Neville Briggs]

You're quite right Bill. Blokes like you have a had a wealth of unique experiences and many others haven't. Lots of us will never get the opportunity to see the nitty gritty of the rural life, but we dream on.

The main point I was trying to make was to try and encourage our bush poets to think about the "music" of their poems. and you are right Bill, as far as "life matters" go, to be truly authentic we can only really put in what we have gained in experience.

[william williams]

Sorry Neville I should have carried it on further.
The music of Poetry, or should I say the music of the bush, for they both go hand in hand.

To write about Australia is music to the ears words are a melody, a melody of life in words told or written is a tune that belongs to those places and happenings that are truly Australian.
Many places around the world are similar to Australia as many words used can be arraigned to resemble many a place around the world but Australian bush Poetry has a style of its own mostly so please don’t let us loose it.
I know my writings may not be of ABPA COMP STANDARD but in that statement I can say with honesty in my heart my writings are truly Australian so why can we not embrace what is truly Australian Bush poetry though not of the competition standard that is requested or other wise we will have more problems than we may realize
I notice there is more and more lack of postings on the forum of poems or yarns and more postings of quips that often go on for pages and pages of silliness’ are we here to discuss poetry and yarns or just stupid trivia.

This is my thoughts how about your’s Bill Williams

[Maureen K Clifford]

Martys just explained why I am having not luck in comps - seems you have to be entire and I am not - some bits are missing Nothing in my place is entire any more - then again maybe they just aren't good enough Not to worry keep on trying.

with the comps currently accepting entires

I agree with Bills comment in the main part - we do have something that is uniquely Australian - whether other countries appreciate it or not - the Australian humour always seems to stand out in Aussie Bush Poetry as does the feeling of mateship and having another go when the chips are down and it's not always written but more a feeling the words give.

Not a lover of wee beasties, as they are usually on the menu of snakes and other nasties, but they like Bush Poets have their place in the universe. Meanwhile the Urban Cowboys continue to drive their fourbies on the black tar. The old Utes that some of us have stand out as work horses rather than show ponies and even that has a uniquely Australian flavour to it - like horses that live rough in the paddock as against the stabled variety you don't need to wash them as often - the dirt is what is holding the paint together

We are very lucky to have such a great forum to be part of - the discussions are always honest and to the point and personally I love the caring and nicely mannered people who share in it

[Neville Briggs]

Bill, I have been a bit disappointed about the small number of poetry posts. I can't speak for anyone else only me, I've been a bit slow , I keep trying to get going but haven't done a lot lately.
And I have to realize that others could have any reasons for their actions that I know nothing about, so I sort of wait and see that things might pick up somehow. I just hope it isn't me putting people off.

[Robyn]

Hi Neville,
I agree we need to concentrate on the language in our poems, otherwise we just end up with rhyming prose.
As to the dearth of poetry on the site, I think Marty haas it right, and the fact some competitions consider posting on this site to be 'published'. Even in the workshops, I'm never sure what will end up as a quick workshop piece and what I'll work on to make a poem that I'd like to use in a competition.
I have to say, I always enjoy the poetry discussions on this site.
Robyn