Maggots
Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 6:29 am
Maggots
(By Alan McCosker 1983 revised 2019)
In the black of the night by a vehicle headlight
he opened and looked in a sandwich
supplied by red cross, what a beautiful sight
we’d had nothing to eat since before lunch
We’d been sent up a track on our boundary fence
to rake fire breaks and then start to back burn
the bushfire was immense and the effort intense
to contain it, so more country might not burn
The noise of a landrover grinding it’s way
up the track to us nearly at midnight
we had no idea who was coming our way
but if they had coffee, would be alright
A wonderful lady who’d been driving all day
she’d been finding firefighters to feed
stepped out of the rover, she had a big tray
with sandwich and flasks of hot coffee
A quick word of thanks, then we sank down
sitting cross-legged there in the darkness
when she moved off, we began to wolf down
we pretty soon cleaned up her largesse
One of our mob said he’d not take a bite
he’d not eat ’til he’d closely inspected
his packet of sandwiches in the headlight
of our fire truck, near which we were seated
He opened a pack and a sandwich took out
and held it in front of the headlights
then wailed with despair and gave a loud shout
“ this sandwich, it’s chock fulla maggots ”
We looked straight down at the wraps on the ground
they revealed we had wolfed them all down
not a sandwich was left, not a crust could be found
rose a sensation that was hard to keep down
But we lived through the night, the sun came up bright
with the dawn came the only conclusion
if ’twas maggots we ate, then they really taste great
but we’ll not stand in line for more servin’s
(By Alan McCosker 1983 revised 2019)
In the black of the night by a vehicle headlight
he opened and looked in a sandwich
supplied by red cross, what a beautiful sight
we’d had nothing to eat since before lunch
We’d been sent up a track on our boundary fence
to rake fire breaks and then start to back burn
the bushfire was immense and the effort intense
to contain it, so more country might not burn
The noise of a landrover grinding it’s way
up the track to us nearly at midnight
we had no idea who was coming our way
but if they had coffee, would be alright
A wonderful lady who’d been driving all day
she’d been finding firefighters to feed
stepped out of the rover, she had a big tray
with sandwich and flasks of hot coffee
A quick word of thanks, then we sank down
sitting cross-legged there in the darkness
when she moved off, we began to wolf down
we pretty soon cleaned up her largesse
One of our mob said he’d not take a bite
he’d not eat ’til he’d closely inspected
his packet of sandwiches in the headlight
of our fire truck, near which we were seated
He opened a pack and a sandwich took out
and held it in front of the headlights
then wailed with despair and gave a loud shout
“ this sandwich, it’s chock fulla maggots ”
We looked straight down at the wraps on the ground
they revealed we had wolfed them all down
not a sandwich was left, not a crust could be found
rose a sensation that was hard to keep down
But we lived through the night, the sun came up bright
with the dawn came the only conclusion
if ’twas maggots we ate, then they really taste great
but we’ll not stand in line for more servin’s