The Lion's View

[David Campbell]

Beautifully written, Heather, with an interesting structure. And a bit of mystery, too. I'd hazard a guess that "The Red" is a reference to a certain pub not far away from you...been there for a long, long time.

Cheers
David

[Heather]

Thanks Maureen, Matt, Bob, Marty and Ron. The town is Kilmore - and the images are all taken from photos and sketches that I have seen of the town in the 1850s and 1860s ....but, I don't want to use the name of the town because the spinning wheel is purely poetic license - I just liked the thought and sound that one of those big wheels makes (and it gave me my rhyme! and whereas Kilmore did have three mills, they were all run by steam created by fire. There is one photo which shows piles and piles of wood outside one of the mills. One photo actually has washing on the line. So, (Neville), the historian in me (and I have produced a history book on the town so I have a reputation to uphold ) wants to be historically acurate while the poet bends the rules a little..... see my dilemna? Anyone who knows Kilmore will know what it is about, anyone who doesn't doesn't really need to know - it could be anywhere!

Goats were quite a nuisance in Kilmore at one time.

Thanks Bob. I do write but they take their time to evolve. This one has taken months and I had to have a break of several months at one point to come back fresh to it. I don't write them quickly like some of you lucky folk..

David "The Red" is The Red Lion Hotel in Kilmore, quite possibly the oldest surviving building in Kilmore. On the top is a red lion made, I am told, from bricks. Re the structure - have a look at Anzac Cove (Leon Gellert). I love the sound that the lines of different lengths make, especially the third line. I also like that the rhymes are separated enough not to be "in your face", they are there but not too obvious.

I'll post a piccie or two when I get a minute.

[Neville Briggs]

The artist Henri Matisse said " Exactitude is not truth "

[Terry]

I quite like hoiking - well written Heather.

Back home tomorrow - unfortunately.

Terry

[Heather]

Hoiking is much better than "holding" skirts isn't it? You can see the ladies "hoiking" - just above the ankles lads - no more. It's not one of those towns with the types of "ladies" Marty is acquainted with!

[Heather]

Red Lion Hotel, Condon's reduced.jpg

[Heather]

Kilmore in 1861 with the mill prominent (you can just see all the wood piled up along the fence), the railing fences, the churches on the ridges, the gaol on the hill - and I'm sure there's a man relieving himself behind the building behind the mill.

Kilmore ca 1861reduced.jpg

[Heather]

In this 1856 engraving of Kilmore you can clearly see the goats, the washing on the line, the mill, the little bridges across the creek and the Red Lion Hotel before the red lion was built on the top. The engraving was done by J. W. Laing.

Kilmore 1856 engraving reduced.jpg

[Heather]

Thankyou Terry...

[Maureen K Clifford]

It's fairly obvious those fences weren't going to keep any goats in No wonder they had problems