Mum and Dad

[r.magnay]

I found this poem my Dad wrote and just thought someone might be interested in it....he turns 90 in November!



“THE LIFE I’VE LIVED”
© Earle Magnay September 2006

I’ve had a rather varied life and when I was just a kid,
I learned to milk the dairy cows that’s what my parents did.
We started before daylight and finished in the dark,
and in between I went to school, no playing in the park.

On Saturdays I’d take a team of two or three abreast,
and either plough or harrow, that’s the time that I liked best.
Sometimes I’d drill and plant the corn with pumpkins in between,
when the weeds came up I’d take one horse and cultivate between.

But when we gave the dairies up, on weekends we’d relax,
Dad and I went in the bush with mall and wedges, crosscut saw and axe.
we cut wood for a wood-yard and the butter factory’s steam,
I tell you it was damn hard work for a kid not yet fifteen!

Then later on I got a job offsider to a cane gangs’ cook,
It was easier than cutting wood, but the hours were pretty crook.
From four thirty in the morning ‘til nine thirty at night,
with fourteen hungry men to feed, five times a day! That’s right.

Then I did a year of butchering and worked at this and that,
then we all went back to dairying on a farm on “Knockrows Flats”.
But no more milking cows by hand this farm was well equipped,
with four stand plant and engine, but the cows had to be dipped.

By now I’d just turned seventeen, it’s early nineteen forty three,
A brand new job, we’d make a quid, but that was not to be.
We had to dip twice every month, and herd abortion rife;
The herd produced half what it should, but what the hell, that’s life!

We worked damn hard to get things right, it took us two long years,
and then the boss just sold the lot, it’d drive a man to tears.
well that’s the way it was those days, you took what you could get,
and struggled hard to pay your way, and not get into debt.

Now I’d be here for ages to list everything I did,
I’d have a go at any job to try and make a quid.
But then in nineteen forty nine I caught a plane down south,
I’d look around a little earn some tucker for my mouth.

Picked cherries for two seasons, and tried sheep station life,
Cooked awhile for shearers, that’s where I met my wife.
And in the years that followed we wed and settled down,
Three years on the station, then nine years in the town.



I delivered bread and learned to bake, and then we bought the shop,
made pies and pasties, rolls and buns now and then a wedding cake with bride and groom on top.
And though I liked the work a lot and enjoyed the folks we’d meet,
With four young kids all under ten we were near run off our feet.

So then we made another change, we moved to Buckleboo,
to share-farm wheat and barley, another job that’s new.
And there we watched our kids grow up and turn from boys to men.
They learned to work and learned to play, now we remember when.

But we left there thirty years ago or pretty close to that,
And bought ourselves a little farm out at “Yallunda Flat”
And now our grandkids are all grown and most have moved away,
So pictures of our great grandkids all help to make our day.

So there you are you’ve heard it all, well no that’s not quite true,
While writing down the things I’ve done, I think I missed a few.
I did a bit of droving, only locally of course,
before they started trucking so we moved them on a horse.

I did a bit of fencing, picked grapes and apricots,
and rode a bike five miles to work in temperatures red hot.
There wasn’t any dole about you worked or didn’t eat.
that was enough incentive to work right through the heat.

I worked among bananas, did three months building roads,
Sold apples from Kentucky to homesteads on the road.
Sold vegies from a billy cart when I was only ten,
then took the money home to Mum we were bloody poor back then.

I’m talking about when things were bad, the great depression years,
when planning for her kids next meal sometimes left my Mum in tears.
When grown men humped their “blueys” and camped where ‘ere they could,
and begged a feed, for which they’d pay by chopping you some wood.

My education wasn’t great, just a New South Wales QC,
For school was not my favourite place, on the farm is where I liked to be.
We share farmed dairies at the time, we milked the cows by hand,
And we used a team of horses to cultivate the land.



So I guess I’m pretty lucky that I’ve had the life I’ve had,
For I’d say I’m a survivor, and so are all our kids.
And my grandkids make me happy to see them doing well,
‘cos what is in the future is rather hard to tell.

Well now I’m nearly eighty and my working days are done,
but still I must keep busy ‘cos I hope to make “the ton”
And Mum and I are happy as we watch our lives go by,
So we haven’t done too badly, my lovely wife and I.

And as I sit here thinking of the years that slipped away,
The only thing that I regret is, I never learned to play.
But I am happy with the life I’ve had and proud of what I’ve done,
And I’m proud of all our grandkids, and of all four of our sons.

[Bob Pacey]

Beautiful Ross Sounds a bit like my old man.


Thanks for letting us share it mate. and tell ya Dad that as well.

[alongtimegone]

Wonderful story Ross. A dad to be proud of.
Wazza

[Maureen K Clifford]

The apple didn't fall far from the tree did it? I like your Dad's poem as well - great stuff.

[Neville Briggs]

Amazing bloke Ross, your Dad has fitted about 15 lifetimes into that 90 years ( so far

[Catherine Lee]

This is wonderful Ross - you must be so proud of your Dad and all his achievements. Thanks so much for sharing his fabulous poem, and I wish you all a truly happy and memorable occasion this month as you celebrate yet another of his milestone birthdays!

[Shelley Hansen]

Lovely memories, and a great legacy for you, Ross. Thanks so much for sharing this personal reflection from a man who has obviously lived life to its fullest.

[Heather]

Your dad sure did a lot of living Ross. I hope his birthday is memorable for everyone.

Heather

[r.magnay]

Thank you all for your kind comments, I guess Dad is no different to many from his era, just that he has put it into verse.
For as long as I can remember he has always said he would live to 100...he is whittling them down. I don't know that his 90th will be the celebration it could have been, Mum has recently taken ill and is now in hospital permanently, dad spends most of his days by her side now and I think it is starting to wear him down a bit. Still she is a pretty tough lady too so who knows.
Thanks again,
Ross

[Shelley Hansen]

Sorry to hear about your Mum, Ross. I can really relate to your situation. My Dad passed away some years ago, but we are currently undergoing a situation of permanent decline with my 91 year old Mum. It is not an easy time for any family. Thoughts are with you.

Regards, Shelley