ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Henry Lawson's birthday today -and my friend Gloria - except she's not as old as Henry

G'day Heather, yes ive been marking this one for many years. thanks.

Ah! might have a beer and recite a bit of Henry to celebrate, or two or three ... Well heck might even have one for Gloria too!

Ron

I'll let her know Ron, she'll be thrilled

He'd be thinking "Marty is right- um, annoyed about now!"

Henry would be pleased.

In the late nineteenth century Japanese was all the rage in the west. Japanese art prints were very collectable , Van Gogh and Degas copied Japanese art, Gilbert and Sullivan wrote a Japanese themed opera called the Mikado. In fact I believe that Henry Lawson attended a performance of the opera and was so impressed that afterwards in the street he leapt into the air and was heard to joyously exclaim " Oh what a feeling..Mikado "

Plus those Japanese poems have stood the test of time and are still popular today. During the Heian period of Japanese culture (700-1100), it was a social requirement to be able to instantly recognize, appreciate and recite Japanese and Chinese poetry.

I'd be thinking old Henry would see that as something to aspire to