ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

The Red Kangaroo

Ross Magnay 10/01/09

I am a young red kangaroo, a joey’s in my pouch,
I’m nothing like the city pets that sleep upon a couch.
My bed’s beneath a mulga tree, no roof to stop the rain,
And when I need my dinner I just hop out on the plain.

In summer time it’s hot and dry I find a shady tree,
nightime when the sun has gone , it’s feeding time for me,
I hop around and look for food beneath the outback stars,
but when I go too close to roads I watch out for the cars.

So when the sun starts coming up I go and get a drink,
and that’s the time the outback sky is turning grey and pink.
The other birds and animals are moving now I see,
I’ll hop back in the shady scrub and find a mulga tree.

Very nice Ross. I can hear the kangaroo bounding away. We can now comment on poems for children which is a good thing. You have kicked this section off well.

Heather

Good one Ross. Kinda nice to have an animal that uniquely ours. Kids should enjoy this.

The Storyteller.

Lovely Ross - good old aussie poems for our little aussie kids!!!

Enjoyed it!

Catchya
Irene

Nice poem, Ross. Don't know about that bit about looking out for cars, though. More likely looking out for cars to jump in front of!

Thanks for your comments all, it is hardly a literary masterpiece, but it is something I wanted to try. I did want to make it Australian and also a bit bushy!
Stephen, although it might appear that they seek out cars to jump in front of, there are a lot more jumping around that don't get hit than what do. I have often seen terrorists following close behind trucks and other vehicles to have the road cleared of 'roos for them, little do they realise that as many 'roos jump across behind vehicles as in front!...but I get your point

I worked in a sales office many years ago and we had a rep who damaged his car when he hit a roo. He was a bit of an object of fun (I know, not nice) because he had this stilted pedantic way of talking and his reports were much the same. This one read "three kangaroos proceeded to cross the road in single file ... " Every time I hear of someone having a near miss (or no miss) with a roo I always remember that report and the picture I carry is of three roos goose stepping across the road, but it must be in single file.

Love the poem by the way, and it's probably best for the little kiddies to believe the roos look out for cars.

That's interesting, Ross.

Great poem Ross and the kids will love it.

Not only do the roos jump in front of and behind but also into and onto. We were coming home one night just on dusk ( bad timing) and a huge grey jumped straight into the side of the truck door and stove it in.

We pulled up and went back to look for it ready to shoot it if needed but never found it. We didn't have much light. Travelling back along the road the next day we found it about 20 yards from where it had hit us. It measured nearly 8 foot ear to tail and was a huge old buck. The damage bill to panelbeat and paint the door on the truck was close to $800 and we never even got dog meat out of him.

The silly thing just jumped from the scrub at the side of the road straight into us - we didn't even see him. Had we been in a car I hate to think what would have happened.

Cheers

Maureen