The Mad Fencer

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ALANM
Posts: 96
Joined: Sat Oct 12, 2019 2:57 pm
Location: North Queensland

The Mad Fencer

Post by ALANM » Sat Jan 18, 2020 3:23 pm

Authors note:
Not all the characters I came across in the Northern Territory were people who
left me with good memories

The Mad Fencer
(By Alan McCosker October 2019)

He’d been in country for awhile but never lost the brogue
lost to rum and whiskey, he was nothing short a rogue
sent out to a distant bore to build a set of yards
he first detoured down by top springs, his thirst for rum set hard

I was sent out to assist him, with a jackaroo named matt
we came across him sometime later, well and truly in the rats
a single post stood in the ground, no other work around
we found him lying in the dirt, empty bottle in his hand

We offloaded our old ‘cruiser, threw our swags under the fly
but when we tried to wake him he rose with a fearsome cry
he gave a shout and cast about with reddened bulging eyes
then grabbed a nearby butchers knife and slashed up both our swags

Then he turned his eyes back on us, those reddened bulging eyes
swearing fiercely that he’d kill us, we bolted for our lives
we raced to start our ‘cruiser but he was too close to beat
he leaned in through the drivers door and stabbed and slashed the seat

I grabbed the killer rifle from the rack above the seat
the old 303 we carried for the taking of fresh meat
then we ran like demons chased us, close to the bloody truth
but he stayed there at the ‘cruiser and stabbed her through the roof

Once away out of his sight, we hunkered down to view our plight
we were thirty miles away from home, too far to walk that night
so I loaded that old rifle up and got it firmly in my head
that if in fact he found us, I’d shoot the bastard dead

I never slept a wink that night, I was just turned nineteen
trembling cold all though the night we listened to him scream
matt was even younger, he’d not long turned fifteen
we’ll not forget that fearful night, forever in our dreams

By break of day he had gone quiet, we returned with careful tread
to find the camp all tossed about, the fly was ripped to shreds
the bastard lay there on the ground, we hoped that he was dead
we got the ‘cruiser started and back to the homestead fled

We related to the manager, he was stunned and quite aghast
he radioed the katherine cops, “come out and arrest his arse”
we heard no more about it, he was sacked but never charged
I hoped I’d seen the last of him but no, he was still at large

Sometime later at a rodeo in good old katherine town
he staggered up, half drunk and laid a challenge down
the memory of those bulging eyes and the terror of that night
made me bunch my fist and lay him out, to me that felt….alright

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Maureen K Clifford
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Re: The Mad Fencer

Post by Maureen K Clifford » Mon Feb 03, 2020 1:14 pm

WOW! Mind you fencing is enough to make anyone deranged
Check out The Scribbly Bark Poets blog site here -
http://scribblybarkpoetry.blogspot.com.au/


I may not always succeed in making a difference, but I will go to my grave knowing I at least tried.

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Shelley Hansen
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Location: Maryborough, Queensland
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Re: The Mad Fencer

Post by Shelley Hansen » Mon Feb 03, 2020 3:39 pm

Blimey, they don't do things by halves in the NT!! :o
Shelley Hansen
Lady of Lines
http://www.shelleyhansen.com

"Look fer yer profits in the 'earts o' friends,
fer 'atin' never paid no dividends."
(CJ Dennis "The Mooch o' Life")

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