ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

A friend sent me this piece, any clues as to who the author(s) may be??


WAKE UP TIME

When the shearing sheds are silent and the stock camps fallen quiet
When the gidgee coals no longer glow across the outback night
And the bush is forced to hang a sign, '. gone broke and won't be back'
And spirits fear to find a way beyond the beaten track

When harvesters stand derelict upon the wind swept plains
And brave hearts pin their hopes no more on chance of loving rains
When a hundred outback settlements are ghost towns overnight
When we've lost the drive and heart we had to once more see us right

When 'Pioneer' means a stereo and 'Digger' some backhoe
And the 'Outback' is behind the house. there's nowhere else to go
And 'Anzac' is a biscuit brand and probably foreign owned
And education really means brainwashed and neatly cloned

When you have to bake a loaf of bread to make a decent crust
And our heritage once enshrined in gold is crumbling to dust
And old folk pay their camping fees on land for which they fought
And fishing is a great escape; this is until you're caught

When you see our kids with Yankee caps and resentment in their eyes
And the soaring crime and hopeless hearts is no longer a surprise
When the name of RM Williams is a yuppie clothing brand
Not a product of our heritage that grew from off the land

When offering a hand makes people think you'll amputate
And two dogs meeting in the street is what you call a 'Mate'
When 'Political Correctness' has replaced all common sense
When you're forced to see it their way, there's no sitting on the fence

Yes one day you might find yourself an outcast in this land
Perhaps your heart will tell you then, '. I should have made a stand'
Just go and ask the farmers that should remove all doubt
Then join the swelling ranks who say, '. don't sell AUSTRALIA out'!
---

G'day Manfred

A web search has revealed Chris Long as a possible author and a different title, "The Australia That I Knew". Click on the link below to view the source.

The Australia That I Knew

Regards


John Peel

Manfred Sorry Mate I do not know but when you find out let me know so I may shake them by the hand.
No truer words were ever written of modern days and sorry to say that there are a great many of us who are to blame. The statement of spare the rod and spoil the child is greater to day than ever was before
And Neville would agree that a firm hand never spoilt a child only helped them on their way.
Manfred you are lucky to have your Grandson by your side. And please don’t lose that trust that he has in you for the eyes of a child is the heart of the world and to everbody enjoy the new year 2011


Bill W

I'm afraid Manfred and BilL, there's more than a few " pillars of our society " who should be publicised with the sign " TRAITOR " firmly displayed on their person.



Neville

I recognised this poem immediatley as one sent to me by a Vietnam Veteran mate of mine. He found it in a veterans magazine as one supplied Courtesy of Craig Leggett (Ex SAS & 1 RAR).
My mates name is Rob Pearce. I asked him to find the authors name for the ABPA as I have already inserted this poem in the next magazine. I too would love to have more details.
Keep on keeping on everybody.

Joe

Sadly when a poem gets passed around and the authors name is deleted it can end up anywhere and derive a new title and a new author.

Not saying this has happened to this poem but it has been posted on many a web page under Anon, Chris Long and Courtesy of Craig Legget [Ex SAS & 1 RAR].

I know Chris Long so I will endeavour to get in touch and see if we can find out who actually wrote it.


The Storyteller

Just had a chat with Chris Long and it is definatley his poem. It was originally entitled "Don't Sell Australia Out"" and he is aware that the title has been changed.

For those who may care it is important to always put your copyright and name with your poem.

That may not stop people passing it around and omitting it but it will provide a record somewhere for folk to trace.

The Storyteller.

Thanks for the information Merv, but one piece of advice that I always give is -- always put your name and copyright symbol below the title of your poem. Doing so at the end of a poem leads to the risk of the authors name being left out altogether.

Joe

Fair enough Frank. Probably both places wouldn't hurt. A bit like announcing the author of a poem in performance poetry. How many times have I heard a reciter announce during his intro who wrote it and still I've heard folk come up after and give credit to the reciter for writing it. Doing it before and after gives folk the opportunity to get it right.

The Storyteller