ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

G'day all,
Having read Vic Jefferies latest post, I thought I might post this old one by way of contribution. It may contain some errors but, as it has been included in one of my little books, I don't think I should change it.

SHOOTING
Zondrae King (Corrimal)

Some time ago, when men were men and boys could have a gun.
The rabbit was a staple food and shooting was thought fun.
A country youth of sixteen years could fill his leisure time.
He’d help to feed his family and he’d keep away from crime
by going bush for a few days. He’d hunt for goat or ‘roo,
or even foxes for their skins to make a bob or two.

He’d roll a swag and grab some cans and head out at a push.
He’d walk for miles through the trees exploring native bush.
He’d notice lots of different birds, or animals and tree.
See possums and Koalas, and some lizards roaming free.
He’d pitch a camp up on a hill, surveying his domain,
but never in a deep ravine in case of heavy rain.

While planning his adventure he would learn to watch the sky
and look out for the danger signs as rain clouds formed on high.
He’d learn about the different seasons and the smell of snow
or when to head for sheltered parts when Western winds would blow.
He smoked no marijuana joint. He’d rarely damage signs.
He didn’t write graffiti tags. He got no traffic fines.

These days a lad can’t have a gun, can’t camp in National parks.
The foxes breed in thousands now they’re not the shooters ‘marks’.
To help control the rabbits breeding, bait is now solution.
Our children now have lots of time, to spend on mind pollution.
They play lots of computer games, X box or watch TV.
The devil finds the idle hands. That’s how it seems to me.

The spray can is his weapon and the gang is now his friend.
Instead of learning for himself he follows every trend.
A boy would steal an apple once, picked from a farmer’s tree.
But mostly that was with his mates when they were on a spree.
Now they hang out doing nothing getting bored and into strife.
But guns and shooting are bad news ‘cause they endanger life.

That's great Zondrae

Remember the old movie " Smiley gets a Gun "

Firearms make more dramatic news for the lobbyists who want to ban everything , the main weapon of violent crime has been and still is..the old sharp edged blade.( believe me I've seen it )

G'day Neville,

The latest phylosophy is;
The only weapon of mass destruction is the mind and the hearts of men.....

but I always say "you can kill with a half a house brick, or even a teatowel, if you really want to kill."

I miss the Rabbit Pies.




Worddancer

I love this piece Zondrae. As pre-teens, myself and a couple of mates would often go spotlighting for rabbits. We could quite openly walk up the main street in town with our rifles under our arm. We'd have the bolt in one pocket and ammo in the other. We would sometimes be stopped by farmers who would ask where we were shooting that night. We'd tell them, and they would mostly respond with, "Have a crack at such-n-such paddock, no sheep there at the moment" or "There's been foxes seen on so-n-so's paddock, give him a call and let him know you'll be around."

The coppers would sometimes stop us and ask, "Where are you boys shooting tonight?" We'd tell them, then they would nod with a stern look and say "Watch you don't pop any cows or sheep or I'll kick your collective arses!"
And that was it!!

The piccie (as a 17 year-old) was taken in the NT, East of the McArthur River on the Gulf.

God Manfred wait till Maureen see this. another " Be still my beating heart " Coming on.


Bobbo

The act of killing starts in the mind, stays in the mind even after and if killing did not take place.
The person who attempts or thinks of suicide and then changes their mind, the memory stays in the mind.
They may never talk of it but it is filed in the mind for life all the same.
The person who takes life thought about it before the trigger is pulled; before the blade slashes, before the poison is poured, and that thought is filed in the mind for life.
When the hunter makes the first kill the planning and trapping, the planning and stalking all took place in the mind in order to carry out the act.
Even the farming of food is a killing that begins in the mind. with planning the nurturing, before killing when harvesting.
Shooting and killing is a learned occupation and learning is what the mind does best.
Frustration turns the killing weapon away from from the gun and the knife, and the target changes.

Thank you, Zondrae you say it well and when it's in rhyme it's easier to read.

Mannie, the original Crocodile Dundee! Get a load of the knife!

Good poem Zondrae and it raises many questions. Think the problem might be that the majority of voters live in cities and have no idea of the realities of life. Their food comes in plastic packages from the supermarket and the only chickens they see are frozen.

Vic

Struth Manfred you were 4 years younger than me in that photo I was at Booroloola in 63
There were a few Buffs about, Crocs Wild Pigs ( captain corker or razor backs if you like) the wild pigs were inclined to be a bit nasty, Roos, and a few Bantan Cattle which were rather docile but shy and the fishing was dam good. I was a pro shooter for roos during the skin market at Willcannia 61 /62 then graduated to Buffalo eradication on the escarpment plains. In 63 I went to Booroloola with some mates to relax and fish and there are a bloody lot of snakes in that area Tiapans and Fierce snake ( I have since found out they are one of the types of Tiapans)

Looks like a mark 4, 303 with the wood cut down better for Buffs if you notch the head if using military rounds.

Those were the days when you could relax and be your self instead of pretending like modern day Kids pretending to be Rambo.

And before some of you squeal and carry on it was a hard life not for the faint hearted or squeamis but an honest life doing what was required

Bill the old Battler