IN HIS OPINION

[Neville Briggs]

IN HIS OPINION

There is a man who knows it all,
who's got it all worked out.
He's able to discern what's what;
of that he has no doubt.
He's sure the stuff of learned books
is false and foolish rot.
And even though he's never read
a word therein, that's not
a problem for this man; in his opinion.

Now, other people's language he
has judged as gibberish.
It's obvious that when they speak
their tongues are devilish.
The common adjectives he speaks
are mostly impolite.
For him the rules of grammar are
profoundly recondite.
He speaks with eloquence; in his opinion.

And foreign food is one more thing
this man finds just no good.
He knows about it's awful taste
he always has withstood.
He's never had a mouthful touch his
palate; so refined.
If foreign food was suitable
to relish as one dined,
this man would surely know; in his opinion.

There is a man who rails against
the current government.
They're way off course, they've got it wrong,
he'll brook no argument.
He has no knowledge of the mode
of party policies.
He's never studied Parliament
'cause sport is all he sees.
But he could run the state; in his opinion.

There is a man who knows it all,
who's got it all worked out.
He's able to discern what's what,
of that he has not doubt.
The bothersome entanglement
of proof or evidence
is just an obstacle to his
perceptive common sense.
This man, well he just knows; in his opinion.



Neville Briggs

This one got a place at Toolangi. It started life as one of those homework topics at our little poets group at Singleton.

[Trisha Patterson]

Very good Neville... I like that!
Trish

[Heather]

I like it too Neville. I've just been reading my little booklet of the Toolangi winners out in the sunshine. Congratulations on your third place.

Heather

[Leonie]

Congrats on your win Neville, I like this a lot too. This bloke gets around a bit, I'm sure I've met him somewhere.

[Neville Briggs]

Thanks for the replies, Trish, Heather and Leonie. How do you get one of those books Heather ?
Some of my friends, Leonie, sniggered when they heard the title of my poem. Dunno why


Neville

[Heather]

I bought mine at Toolangi on the day Neville. It was $10 and has all the 2009 and 2010 winners in it. There isn't a contact in the booklet so I looked up the Singing Gardens Tea Rooms in the white pages for you.

Jan Williams is the one to ask for, she owns the Singing Gardens Tea Rooms. (03) 5962 9282 Jan should be able to put you onto the right person. If you have a contact for Stephen Whiteside you could contact him too but he hasn't re-registered here yet.

(You could buy mine but it's a collectable you know and would be worth a fortune! Thinking I could have bought a few more and gone into business! )

Heather

PS wouldnt' sell it for quids

[Leonie]

Some of my friends, Leonie, sniggered when they heard the title of my poem. Dunno why


Neville

I can't understand that either, Neville. How rude.

[warooa]

Well done, Nev . . . enjoyed your poem, congrats on your placing. Did you go to Toolangi?

Marty

[Terry]

G/day Neville,
I really like this one, I like the wording and how you have gone about it, Congratulations on your award.

Terry

[Neville Briggs]

Thanks for the encouragement and replies Heather, Leonie, Marty and Terry.

I didn't get to Toolangi, Marty. I've wanted to visit that part of Victoria for ages but haven't made it yet.
Heather went there, and I think Will Moody was there as well.

I knew you'd understand Leonie.

Thanks Terry, I'll get to see the desert sunrise some day, see what sort of wording that induces.
There's a fairly expensive Australian DVD out, called Two Thirds Sky. It shows five prominent Australian artists, including two Aboriginal artists doing landscape painting in the desert country. It's fantastic. I have to content myself with watching that and dreaming about it.

Thanks for the information Heather. We expect to see your work in the book next time. That poem about the remembrance wall was just great and I think you got some well deserved recognition for it.


Neville