Wallaby Jack **, Australian Bush Poetry Options

[Maureen]

Wallaby Jack


Spring had come in with a bang and God the days were hot
and everyone was talking ‘bout the rain they had not got
he thought that he would melt into a gigantic grease spot
it was time to take a big break from the city.

He dreamt of rocky creek beds, catching salmon on the fly
and tall and shady gum trees. Watching satellites drift by
at night beneath the glorious expanse of open sky
void of the street lights back there in the city.

He loaded in the snatch ‘em straps, the winch and extra chain,
then threw some rolls of mesh in too, just in case of rain
the factor 3 and Aeroguard, extra cans of butane
in preparation for the trek out of the city.

They left town bright and early on a Sunday afternoon
he’d planned to leave that morning but it wasn’t opportune,
his kids and wife were crabby. Oooh! The wrong phase of the moon
and the holiday was not looking real pretty.

‘I’m hungry are we there yet?’. They were barely out of town.
‘Are you sure that you’ve packed everything?’ his wife said with a frown,
‘what about the life jackets ? Don’t want the kids to drown’
and the bloke collecting tolls looked on with pity.

Five hours drive on country roads dodging emu’s and roos
they pulled up at the servo for some petrol and some booze.
Angels and Devils marked the doors – Do kids know how to choose?
Someone it seems must have been feeling witty.

With family all fed, fuelled, toileted and sleepy now,
they hit the frog and toad and headed onward to Blue Cow;
he’d eradicated hitches , to his missus he’d kow tow
though she still was whinging that her hair felt gritty.

There were caravans in front of them and caravans behind
all tortuously straining upwards on that mountain climb.
Grey Nomads on the wallaby and they found it sublime
but he wondered now why he had left the city.

Maureen Clifford © The Scribbly Bark Poet

[Keith Logan]

Hi Maureen,

I found this quite hard on first read but that was all my problem. I'm used to reading and writing snappier poetry with shorter lines. I was well reworded for a second read and even inclined to go over it a third time. My goodness, it was better still.

What a colorful family outing you portray here. The language and grammar never fail to entertain. Oh, by the way, once I got into it I really loved the rhythm with the shorter fourth line tying the verses together, so well.

Keith, the happy chappy

[Maureen]

How lovely Keith - thank you - so pleased you found something to like eventually lol. I feel very honoured you came back to it 3 times

Cheers

Maureen