ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

I don't know where this one came from either - But I've known a few Marty's - (this is one is just a little rushed)

Old Marty
He was a rascal right enough back in those days of old,
and always full of mischief, but he had a heart of gold.
He’d show up out of nowhere with a smile upon his dial,
explaining he’d been far away and tramped a country mile.

For that’s the way he liked to live, footloose and fancy free,
and wouldn’t change for quids, “there’s so much more out there to see”.
I knew he’d want to bite me, he was always on the take,
And let me tell you, he could charm the skin right of a snake.

I still remember a time at a place called Tin Dog Flat,
when almost out of nowhere Marty dropped by for a chat
and swore that some blasted mongrel, had pinched his lucky pick.
This jumping to conclusions, somehow really got my wick.

I told him that was rubbish, for he’d left it here last week,
he’d thrown it at a cawing crow down by the flam’en creek.
now seemed the time to gently mention other things forgot,
and tell him that his memory, was well and truly shot.

© T.E. Piggott

Oh well done Terry - I guess we all know someone like your Marty - sometimes a little too much alcohol helps them along as well, and there's an expression we don't hear much these days - Putting the bite on someone . It is we poets I think who will keep our Aussie slanguage alive through our poetry - may not be appreciated much now but give it 50 or 60 years

Thanks Maureen

A bit of rubbish really if the truth were told.

But you're right about our old Aussie lingo disappearing now from regular use,
'To walk a country mile' is another one slowly fading from everyday use.
There's so many others as well - Perhaps we should set aside Homework sometime with the instruction to use some of our old sayings,
with the suggestion that we to try and dig up as many near forgotten words and phrases as possible - jut a thought.

Terry

Really like this one, Terry - and yes, we've all known a "Marty" or two.

Excellent suggestion on homework using lost lingo. I'm in favour!

An excellent idea Terry I agree - we will address that for our next set of prompts - bless your cotton socks for thinking of it

Good tale Terry, another true picture created of one of those old bush characters we can relate to, well done mate.
Great idea also, to retrieve as many as we can of those old gems of our language!
Cheers
Ron

Thanks Ron, Shelley, Maureen.

Coming up with the old lingo - should be fun.

'Curl of the Mo' I reckon

Terry

Oh yes, really enjoyed this one, Terry - well done! And the old lingo exercise would be great. Wally Bear includes some of these in his eMuse, and I was collecting some (saving them on Word) for a while, as there were plenty I didn't know or remember...

Thanks Catherine

There's so many of the old sayings slowly sliding into oblivion - a lot of our history is doing the same.

Terry