collaborative poem. Ron

[Ron]

A famous poet once did say –
young men’s fancy turns to love
and knowledge comes but wisdom lingers …
my thought is more push leads to shove.
Five young farmers – true love lacking
dared to share all on TV …….
how for love they were all searching.
The aim for all – matrimony.

Brave. They came to meet the ladies
chosen for their attributes…
their compatibility
displayed in heels or cowboy boots.
Would a spark, spark with their meeting?
Would that spark flare into flame?
Or would romance wilt and wither?
Therein rests the romance game.
MKC

Now it would help I’m sure it’s true,
that if per chance I’d watched that show.
But none the less I’m always game,
to pick up pen and have a go.
And as I’ve known a girl or two -
though long ago I must admit.
With wooing days now far behind,
I must turn back the clock a bit.

I’m in my eighties still quite fit,
and have what you could call a farm.
Well, big backyard if truth be told,
but has some well-known old world charm
I’m out of practice with the chat,
but if the girls are keen to match
and game to give romance a go,
I guess I could be quite a catch.
TEP

It wasn’t just the young bloods brave
Who put it out for all to see,
one older gentleman emerged
to risk a wild romantic spree,
and whilst some claimed failure at chat
‘twas noted that he owned a farm …..
Always a big chick magnet that.
Tread cautiously – promote your charm.

Now Mary, Margaret and Sue
were country girls, wise to the ways
that farmers think – Oh yes they were.
On fairy tales they’d not been raised.
But Jasmin was a city chick,
very high maintenance was she –
All doubted that she’d like farm life
but time will tell – as soon we’ll see.
MKC

So, once she thought, the older gent
would be her target on the show,
for his backyard farm was perfect
to suit her scheme to strike a blow.
Though what she did not comprehend
was he’d worked hard for all he had.
Genuine love is from the heart
and he sensed false intentions bad!

For comes to light his property,
when saying, ‘welcome to my backyard’
means, the vast gemfields of the West
(just like Russ Coight’s in that regard)
And years, of gold prospecting had
entrenched life's values … so you see,
‘gold diggers’ he’d sort out real quick
and that’s in all …reality!
R.B.

Old Jack the senior contender
he of four score years plus more
decided he would show her round
his acres in his four by four.
She ooed and aahed whilst bounced around
along the rutted outback tracks,
expressed delight in all she saw
and claimed to love the station hacks.

“Where are the boundaries Jack dear’’
Jasmin enquired “I see nowhere
a fence to indicate the end
and oh the landscape is so bare”
‘‘My boundary’s the ocean blue
and the deep indigo of sky
the red soil just goes on forever’’...
cany Jack’s facetious reply.
MKC

Well, that’s all fine and dandy, thought
the lady from ‘The Smoke’,
but where are friends and neighbours
of this ancient country bloke?
There’s nothing here for miles around
as far as I can tell,
I’ll have to change his attitudes
to dodge a living hell.

Though sacrifices must be made
when living in the scrub,
I’ll miss all the attention,
entertainment, restaurants, clubs.
But keep on smiling, bait the hook;
that money will be grand’
(Yet Jack was wise to anyone
who coveted his land).
CL

Jack chuckled to himself again,
this Sheila thinks she’s really cool,
She hasn’t got a clue you know,
so now he’ll act the flaming fool.
She asks then where his house might be
and is it very far from here.
So then he has to break the news,
"I have a mobile home my dear!"

A look of near despair then danced
across her sweet and lovely face.
And said she wanted to go home,
she thought he was a darn disgrace.
So Jack then knew he must be quick
and have a plan to keep her there.
He flashes then a hunk of gold,
and said, "my sweet, it’s yours to wear."
TEP

The ‘carats’ dangled did the trick
because her soul was stirred with greed,
and she saw nought but dollar signs
so common sense she did not heed.
For if this was just a sample
of Jack’s hidden, possible wealth
she’d persevere through adverse times
to help support her game of stealth.

But then it became much harder
for Jack’s old mobile home was rough.
It had all that a bushman needs,
but just suited the hard and tough.
It wasn’t really long at all
that it shocked and rattled her soul
when she found, that Jack’s basic loo
was ...a shovel and dunny roll.
R.B.

Somewhat offput discovering this,
with really nowhere else to go
the city chick gritted her teeth
keeping close watch for snakes below.
She justified it to herself
remembering that Jack had wealth.
She’d ascertain the state of play
using her wiles and female stealth.

When asked the question quite sweetly
as to just how much gold he’d found,
old Jack turned cagey, merely said
that he’d found most just lying around
He hadn’t found old Lasseter’s Reef -
suspected it was just a yarn.
His gold was all stored in his teeth
where it was safe from thieves and harm.
MKC

Jack thought he’d better tell her now,
about the beauty to be found.
With stunning sunsets she must see,
and feel the silence all around.
Then nights beneath the starry skies,
was sure to melt her little heart.
And help forget the flies and dust,
and all those creepies for a start.

He knew that he’d gone overboard,
when showing her the flam’en gold.
She won’t shut up about it now -
and that’s no matter what’s she’s told.
He should have shown a smaller piece,
perhaps an ounce or two, or less.
Instead he had to show off there,
while trying hard to then impress.
TEP

And Jack had reason for concern
though not realizing at the time,
in the backstreets of a big city
there was, a petty crook in crime.
Jaz’s boyfriend! (he was puppeteer)
who’d schemed this all from way, way back
but, as turned out he was no match
for cagey, wily bushman Jack.

As there was no mobile service,
out in that far back country bush,
from Jasmin, he had not heard,
and found it a pain in the tush!
With thoughts of being double crossed
his moods turned to a filthy black
Until with revenge on his mind,
he ventured to the great outback.
R.B.

His first mistake – a big one too
only a city bloke would make
He underestimated who
would fuel his vehicle … big mistake
He drove one of those fancy cars
about which all the greenies raved
An EV vehicle. They claimed
if used would see the whole world saved.

His second error – oh such woe
was that his fancy shiny car
had a suspension far too low
for corrugated roads, and so
it banged and scraped, and crunched and dragged…
at small creek crossings nearly drowned,
so ‘fore he’d even travelled far
that crim wished he had stayed in town.
MKC

This stranger from stark privation
had, nearly died a hundred times
For after his E.V. conked out,
(was it karma for all his crimes?)
He’d staggered over desert sands
and cursed! that damned electric car
and all this, unbeknown to Jack,
‘that crim' had come so near ...but far!


So creature comforts were the plan
to soften up things just a bit,
however the long drop dunny
he’d planned, was with misfortune hit.
For on a moonless pitch black night
that stranger stumbled there and fell,
and being near’ half a mile deep
he spiralled, dying …down in hell.
RB

Jack said he didn’t give a damn,
about some mongrel on the prowl.
He’d sort him out should he turn up,
by either fair type means or foul.
But had to do some courting now,
and prove his love was really true.
He’d show her he could do most things,
and make a darn good husband too.

He’d even get a shower tent,
instead of bucket baths like now.
Plus, one of those new solar things,
that warms the water up somehow.
He'd camp back near an old long drop,
some mining mob had left behind.
It’s out there in the open air.
He knew she wouldn’t really mind.
TEP


Well things had gone from bad to worse
and much it seems was on the nose –
the city chick was over it
nothing out there smelt like a rose.
She’d reconsidered old Jacks wooing …
Decided he was not her type
at all - the lure of gold had fled
along with all the TV hype.

She’s no inkling boyfriend was near
and truth to tell she wouldn’t care –
she’d met up with a grey nomad
who she’d found wandering out there.
She conned a lift back to the city -
planned to approach the TV show,
and get back to the nitty gritty
of giving true romance a go.

Now Mary, Margaret and Sue
were not entranced to have her back
Not one of them was interested
in that old fellow - miner Jack.
They were keen on the younger blokes,
and these were three quite feisty dames
with romantic trysts under way
and public airings of their claims.

Good looking Bob was big and butch -
raised cattle in the territory.
Whilst Steve, a Stanthorpe grazier
ran sheep and had a winery.
Max and Joe were high country men
claimed Kosciusko slopes as home –
‘twas doubtful Jaz would win their hearts
but much can happen in a poem
MKC

Thank God she’s gone the old bloke said,
he thought he’d never see her go.
She may have been a looker true -
but what a whinging so and so.
There’s no tears shed here on his part,
she’d been impossible of late,
So let her have some other mug,
pick up the tab, and good luck mate.

Meanwhile she poured her heart out to
the Grey Nomad she’d met that day.
And told him of the hell she’d known,
while roughing it along the way.
The old bloke was alright she said,
but would need a lot of loot.
To now consider being wed -
In truth he’d given her the boot.

TEP

With Jasmin gone old Jack it seems
confessed to a lucky escape
it had been fun while it lasted -
he knew it would end up pear shaped.
And Jasmin too had headed west -
the TV show now not her scene,
though Sue and Bob were making out
together … both imagining.

Mary with Max had struck a chord….
she was a nursing sister so
there’d be no trouble getting work
up in the Kosciusko snow.
For ski resorts and country towns
are all in need of medical care,
so if she didn’t fancy cows
doubtless she’d find a job up there.
MKC

Oh how the plans had gone astray
as cupid’s arrows hit their mark!
For all the staging of the show
so unexpected was the spark!
That blossomed out of sight of all
who watch, this reality TV!
For what is missing from these shows
Is really all …reality!

For Jaz and Jack were down to win,
as written in the final stage
by showing love could overcome
any difference in their age!
But now, that they had split the scene,
they’d left the show quite unequipped,
because the writers, cursing, had to
rewrite another closing script!
RB

[Maureen K Clifford]

That's excellent, you've turned the horses for home all ready to make a final ending.

Come on Ladies - if you want to have ago do it now -were nearing the final fence

[Terry]

Hi Maureen & Ron
It up to those who watch the show, which leaves me out.
The adds are enough for me.

Cheers

Terry

[Ron]

Thanks Maureen, yeah thought a bit of a twist for the home straight.

Yes me too Terry, cannot get into this so called "Reality TV" at all mate!

Cheers
Ron.

[Maureen K Clifford]

Oh gentlemen - So not so - That was just a starting point - I watch the trailers and read the blurbs and the path of true love never runs smooth or where people think/hope/presume it will.

we are poets - we make our own endings