A Warrego Dreamer(Rosevale to Charleville)

Published by Elizabeth Hockins at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Hockins

 

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A Warning From The Bush

A word of advice
for all you city chaps
disregard it at your peril!

The bush needs help
for times are tough
don’t turn your back on us.

We work the mines
and till ground.
We feed and house and clothe you.

For wheat don’t grow on city streets
or sheep graze in high-rise buildings,
cows don’t live in suburbs neat.

You destroyed your ground,
Your rivers are dead
and your trees so very few.

You need our skills
you can’t survive
without the heartland of our nation.

So remember this my friend
if the bush cannot survive
the cities die with us.

Advice To A Son

Grow up and take your place
In the world of men
Follow the path of truth
Don’t be tempted to lie.

Stand with your head high
Don’t give way to despair
Walk tall and proud
not stooped and bowed.

Face up to your fears
There’s no time for tears
Hear the distant cheers
You will win someday.

Bethany

Nestled on a mountain side
near the sea and near the sky
a place to dream and rest awhile.

A tranquil place apart
to come and rest at last
revive your body and soul.

Revived at last you go
to face the world again
and live your life with faith renewed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bethany

Beneath the mountains
Eternal peace
Time goes so very slowly
happiness lives here
Always love endures
Nature at its best
Youth returns.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Boy Jesus

Two thousand years ago
In a little eastern town
A baby boy was born.

But this babe was special
It was written in the stars
A child is born in Bethlehem
The Son of God on earth.

Some shepherds saw a star
And heard the angels sing
They hurried down the hill
With a lamb for the little boy.

Wise men from the east
Asked where the king was born
Because they wished to worship him
It really caused a stir.

Herod asked the priests
Where the child could be
Who was promised by the prophets
The child will be in Bethlehem
So the prophets said.

The wise men hastened hither
To see the tiny babe
Give rich gifts to the boy
Then hurried home again.

As Herod was getting his soldiers
To kill all little boys
An angel whispered to Joseph
To take his wife and son.

Egypt was to be a refuge
Until King Herod died
Then they went to Nazareth
And opened a carpenter’s shop.

They went about their business
Doing rather well at it
The lad grew tall and strong
Helping Joseph with his work.

When he reached double figures
They took a little break
they went to Jerusalem
To see the temple there.

The lad went to see the rabbis
He caused a great big fuss
Because he knew the Holy Scripture
Almost word by word.

But he had not told his family
And he caused a hulla bullo
Each thought he was with the other
And they were nearly home.

Joseph hurried back
To find the wayward lad
He found him at the temple
With the rabbis all around.

He was reprimanded by Joseph
For causing such a fuss
I was worried sick he said
And your mother’s in a state
Then he took the miscreant home.

When asked why he did it
These were the words he said
Don’t you know that I was about
My father’s work here on earth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bush

The night sky turns pale
And the stars fade away
In the distance a dingo howls
To greet a new born day.

The night bird calls goodbye
And is answered by a Currawong
As he greets a new born day.

Kookaburras laugh with joy
Magpie joins in song
The molten sun climbs higher
Above the stony ridge.

Sheep start to graze
Upon the dew wet grass
Birds swoop and dart
Hunting insects near the marsh.

Kangaroos hop lazily by
As eagles soar in the sky
Emus walk and feed
Under tall gum trees.

I watch from my step
And I yawn and I Stretch
Of all the places on the earth
None can compare with my bush.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn Music

Early morning bird songs
Wake me from my slumber
I lie in bed and listen
To the music of my dreams.

I hear the magpies carol
Their joyful hymn to dawn
A currawong sings harmony
The butcherbird warbles counterpoint.

Such sounds come from nature
Mankind must believe it’s true
I sit in awe and wonder
And listen to the birds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Drover

Do you remember the drover.
A horseman of renown
He spends his life in the saddle
behind the travelling stock.

His life is bound by open plains.
The days are long and hard
as he guides the mob along.
Slowly the cattle move.

He watches every movement
of cattle trees and clouds
never misses any sound,
of wind or animals.

A man who knows the country
with all its moods and ways,
it’s good times and bad.
He knows and loves it still.

He’s an openhearted bushman
a man who’s words are few,
but when he speaks you listen
you know he tells the truth.

He knows the lore of nature
and he knows his fellow men
all the animals and trees are friends,
you hear it in his voice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Flowers Old And New

Bush bells so shy
You hide your beauty
close to the ground
Small blue bell so sweet.

Yellow and stiff
Paper daisies bright
You will live
Through the drought.

In a shaded pool
You sit in dappled green
Of flowers a queen
Waterlily supreme.

Nuggets of gold
Nestle on silver seas
Who has a richer tree
Wattle blossoms for me.

Fairy clocks of white
Childhood dreams so pure
Yours the spirit of summer
Dandelion seeds of hope.

Sweet little white bells
First flowers of spring
You say that winters gone
New life will appear’

Red and white roses
Blood upon snow
Love so sweet and pure
First love so true.

Violet mist upon the ground
Sweet gentle and shy
Small yet none so sweet
Invoke memories of you.

Dear little faces tricolour
Remind me of friendship
And people long gone

Yet I thank you for the thoughts.

Yellow and bold
Big and gold
Soon the sun
Will beat the cold.

A Gift To Mother

A bush track calls me back
In memory I see it clearly
As when I was a child
I ran along its twisting way

A barefoot shy young girl
Curly hair and freckled nose
Fleet of foot and innocent
contented with my lot in life

I remember the big box tree
By the culvert on the drain
Where I first could see my home
As I climbed the stony ridge

I had a present for my mother
Wild flowers picked from upon the flat
The first I had found that year
I knew she would understand.

The rain had come at last
Flowers showed the drought had passed
Better times are on the way
I hoped she would rejoice.

Hard Times

Clouds soft as cotton balls
On a clear blue sky
The suns a brazen ball
That shines on a parched land
Grass dry as a tinder box
Cattle poor and weak
Snuff a dry creek bed
The squatter looks for rain
He’s been pulling mulga
To keep his stock alive
He’ll take to the long yard
And drive his cattle south
His wife will run the station
And work to feed the kids
Driving them to the schoolyard
She works at the local pub
Washing dishes and making beds
Drives home to cook the tucker
Feeds the dogs and cuts the wood

At night she writes a letter
To her husband on the track
Sends money for his food
Sharing what she has with him
At night she longs to hold him
She feels so all alone
But she must be strong for both
There is no rest for her
Mending fences clearing drains
The squatter reads her letters
By the campfires flickering light
He dreams of home and family
and a women who is all alone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I Don’t Know

Why am I lonely
Why do I cry
Why am I left alone
Why am I on my own

I never go out at all
I stay in my house all day
I try to keep the peace
And do the work alone

The more I do
The more work is left
More work to finish
Less time to rest

Rest is my reward
When work is through
I never finish my work
So I can’t have my reward

I feel so alone
No one will ever help
I struggle ever onward
Doomed to fail again
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love

My love the world is ours
You and I are one
We work in the sun
Make love when were done

We are young and free
Both you and me
Our love is true
I love only you

Our love will last
All dreams come true
And will grow and grow
As long as life goes on
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Tribute To The Meatants

I know a mighty football team
where the Warrego River flows
in a small and dusty town
where the mighty meat ants played

Men of great integrity
Who always played the game
they were the mighty meat ants
and they made us proud

Strong men from the country
who always did their best
they won a triple-header
a hat trick of partnerships

They swept all teams before them
and mingled with the best
never resting on their laurels
They were better than the rest

Now in the new millennium
you send a challenge clear
to your sons and grandsons
Can you equal us?

We have set the benchmark
for you to strive to beat
try with all your strength
don’t let the meat ants down

Lets work and play together
we will show you how
to reform the meat ants
and make us proud again
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monsoon

The wild creatures hush
As they wait in the rain
The birds are quiet and still
As the bush waits for the wet

The weather changes quickly
The rain comes roaring down
The wind blows with wild abandonment
Rain falls with thundering rage

Soon the pools are full
Water lillies bloom in splendour
Birds sing sweet love songs
the world is fresh and green

The bush is alive
Tree frogs gather
To sing of love and lust
as the rain clouds blow away

Mulga

Mulga trees as far as I see
Grey and hardy
Tough as the land around
Hard and dry

Yet in your sameness
I see the essence of the bush
The very toughness needed
To beat the drought

A tree built to survive
When all around
Other plants wither and die
Yet you live

Your branches offer shade
To creatures great and small
Food for all in need
And shelter from the heat

Old Dreams

Swift shadows on the ground
Cloud scud by in the sky
Wind ruffs the grass

Free as the Breeze
I am at ease
The world is mine
I wear a smile

Wind in my hair
I don’t have a care
I run and I jump
My blood starts to pump

I sit by a tree
Dog sits with me
It’s good to be free
Who would join me?

I sit and I dream
A rug on my knee
A nurse brings tea
She sits with me

Reflections Of Dawn

The day sends a message
A pale faint pink light
give promise of heat
and a life so sweet

Picaninny dawn so fair
So rare and so new
A day to cherish
To fill a fancy leads me on

A new life begins
throw off your fears
The chains of yesteryear
Let the past slip away

I look to the future
With hope in my heart
The time for fears is past
We greet a new day
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rodeo Rider’s Wife

Pride and fear grip my heart
I watch him carry his gear
His saddle, ropes and straps
He wears chaps his cowboy hat
with a devil may care grin

I watch him saddle up
Checking every strap and buckle twice
My heart beats fast
As he climbs the rails

I watch him mount and settle on
My mouth is dry as I try to pray
The gate opens wide as the horse erupts
I taste the bitter taste of fear
Watching him ride buck after buck

Time goes so very slow
Then I watch the pickup man
He walks back to the chute
He’s safe “Be praised my God.”

Hear the points he’s won
I wait with bated breath
Has he got enough to win
As he holds me I feel proud.

The Bowerbird

He’s a pretty little creature
So I hear people declare
A mimic extraordinary
But his habits are so bad

He’s a thief to boot
Your watch or ring
Anything things that shine
Are never safe from him

The things he takes
Are used to dress
A bower for his mate
Because he steals for love

He’s a beautiful bird
Who has colourful ways?
He dances so divinely
To win a female heart

There’s a lot of people
In the world today
Who are worse than him.

Wake Up

Wake up early
Brush my teeth
Wash my face
Drag myself downstairs

Eat my food
Wash my plate
Get my lunch

Find my book
Where’s my socks
Get dressed quick
Off to school.

Summer Rains

Distant thunder rumbles in the hills
Lightning flashes all around
The rain is like a solid wall;;
Water rising ever higher
Flooding slowly over the plain.

The rains have come at last
Life giving waters flow
Drenching the parched earth
The land eagerly draws it down
Soaking water deep below.

The waters rise ever higher
Washing silt over the plains
Retreating slowly to its bed
Dropping nutrients on the land
Further down the stream.

Slowly the country dries up
Sealing precious water in
Deep in the soil seeds stir
Responding to the warmth
Peeping shyly through the soil.

Springing ever upwards
Growing ever bigger
Spreading wider every day
Higher and stronger all the time
Till they fill the land.

Hope Still Lives

A mother weeps for her son
Gunned down before his time
He died a victim of hatred
Yet he was loved.

A child cries at night
For a father who died
He died for a cause he held dear
Never dreaming he was missed.

A wife gave birth to a son
Who will never know his dad
She cries for what may have been
And never will be again.

The children of hate grow up
Sickened by hate and war
They long for a better future
Where peace can reign supreme.

Joining hands with one another
They work to build anew
A world of hope and friendship
Where they can live secure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rough Times

Away back in the outback
Things are looking bleak
Jobs are hard to find
People are doing it tough.

Work has slowly vanished
The owners have no money
To pay the men to work
So they put the ringer off.

Times get even harder
The wool prices dropped
Owners did the work
Worse was yet to come.

Drought gripped the land
Death walked the barren ground
The owner borrowed heavily
To keep his flock alive.

He could not meet his payments
The bank threatened to foreclose
But his wife started working
To keep the bank away.

The drought broke at last
Rain came pelting down
The river started rising
It spread into a flood.

Fences were washed away
The sheep already weakened
Just couldn’t get away
From the raging river.

More hard times to bear
The young people left
Mum and dad alone
To try and make it pay.

Struggling to make ends meet
Each day is harder than the last
Just the two mustering and fencing
They shear the sheep and dip for flies.

Not for them the easy life
They can’t grow old or frail
There’s so much work to do
They keep working till they drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

END