ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Quick! You've got 5 minutes to read this poem before it moves again!

I too seemed to have missed something. I was merely stating that I liked Dennis' poem and agreed with his point of view which is (as I understand it)the freedom of speech we talk about is now dependent upon us toeing the line and being politically correct. My comments are meant to be read in context with the poem and I have not suggested for a moment that we turn this forum into an "all in" discussion group. I just hope more people write similar poems containing social comment.

Yes I hope so too Vic and maybe some disagreeing strongly with
the content of my poem. After all I'm a great believer in free expression.

With regard to the general discussion about comments on a poem's content: I think
this is bound to happen and can develop into what looks like something unrelated to the original
poem. As long as the discussion references the poem I can't see the problem.
A poem is not necessarily just a collection of pretty rhyming metered lines about innocuous subjects,
(alright a lot of mine are - well maybe not the "pretty" bit )
but may be a work conveying social comment, an idea, a philosophical point of view, history - the list goes on.
Naturally the topic of the poem as well as its form may generate discussion and where the topic is
political or address's certain social conventions in perhaps a satirical or what some may think of as a disrespectful way
there will be differences of opinion. I think this is to be expected.

Well here there may be differences of opinion but I would suggest that in many poetry circles everyone would be in perfect agreement.
(Oh and in those circles I'd be out on my [rear end] in 5 minutes flat ).

"onya" Marty.

Well, I don't agree with you Marty....

I ate a whole Pizza with Ray Essery tonight. But it's all relative.

How big a hole did you eat in it??

IS RAY ESSERY YOUR FATHER???

Well, I must admit, I am totally confused also!! There seems to be several threads that are disjointed - and as a result, must have offended someone.
Who is moving the posts? And shouldn't there be a comment when a post is moved, which also says why it was moved? We might be able to follow the context a little better rather than everyone getting upset!

Maybe it is a full moon - and we are all going loopy!!

Hey Dennis - didn't mind your original poem either - has the ring of truth about it!

catchya
Irene

Geez, glad that's all resolved - free speech reigns, no ones offended, everyone's a bit confused, Marty south likes fat chicks and Neil ate Ray Essery on a pizza.

Henry Lawson didn't mind speaking out Dennis when he wrote 'A Song of the Republic' when he was twenty-one. It was published in the 'Bulletin', which shaped public opinion with the slogan "Australia for the Australians". It encouraged the beginnings of an indigenous Australian literature. There was a strong Republican movement leading up to Federation, but "God, Queen and Empire" predominated. Lawson says that we should free ourselves from the wrongs, greed and errors of England, and that we should reject their beliefs and worn-out customs. The quintessentially Australian element is "The Land".

A Song of the Republic

Sons of the South, awake! arise!
Sons of the South, and do.
Banish from under your bonny skies
Those old-world errors and wrongs and lies.
Making a hell in a Paradise
That belongs to your sons and you.

Sons of the South, make choice between
(Sons of the South, choose true),
The Land of Morn and the Land of E'en,
The Old Dead Tree and the Young Tree Green,
The Land that belongs to the lord and the Queen,
And the Land that belongs to you.

Sons of the South, your time will come –
Sons of the South, 'tis near –
The "Signs of the Times", in their language dumb,
Fortell it, and ominous whispers hum
Like sullen sounds of a distant drum,
In the ominous atmosphere.

Sons of the South, aroused at last!
Sons of the South are few!
But your ranks grow longer and deeper fast,
And ye shall swell to an army vast,
And free from the wrongs of the North and Past
The land that belongs to you.

Henry Lawson