ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

G'daay All,
Word has it that my 'Certificates To Mount' has won the Dunedoo comp, for which I am most grateful & a little surprised, as I thought the poem too contentious to take out an award. I seem to have an inherent ability to say the opposite of what I mean at times, & I must impress that my intention was to speak up for our soldier boys.

My paternal Grandparents' original wedding photo (+ 100yrs old) hangs in pride of place in my home. Directly opposite hangs two beautiful 'Honour The Brave' certificates with little oval pics at their bases, of two of their sons lost to war. I mused on how quite unintentionally I had placed these photos gazing directly at each other, & how very sad that is....& how, even sadder, the wheels of war just keep turning. Hope you enjoy....


‘CERTIFICATES TO MOUNT’ © 2010 Glenny Palmer


A mother gazes mutely from a humble oval frame;
a father standing staunchly by her side does much the same.
Across a room bedecked with shameless platitudes sublime,
two sons of war gaze proudly back, in uniforms of crime.

Two sons so keen & ready to defend our country’s shores,
two sons beguiled by despots fuelling fiscal gain through wars;
just fodder for Gallipoli, just seen as no account,
and granted for their legacy?...certificates to mount.

I ache for Grandma gazing from that oval picture frame,
and see within my Grandad’s eyes presumption of the shame
that banished each dear son to blood soaked clay of foreign wild,
and banished ever more, the right to see, to hold their child.

And yet another mother smiles within a gilded frame;
her son, in pin striped suit’s success, beside her smiles the same.
Across a room bedecked with priceless artefacts, ill won,
sublime in moral ignorance, she sees and holds her son…

…her son, who rose to Presidency, oils the war machine
while thumping on the dais, ‘’…terrorism is obscene.’’
And all his human cattle don his uniforms of crime,
while he invests with confidence in terrorism’s mime.

Big bankers and big business…the five percent that rules
the power gods dictating a ‘democracy’ of fools,
while we, the ninety five percent, are forging on the tread
to turn their wheels with honest sweat, to keep their fodder fed.

And now this mother’s weeping on a wooden picture frame.
My son of war smiles proudly back entirely free of blame,
just fodder for Afghanistan, just seen as no account
by despots; and his legacy?... certificates to mount.

Well deserved win I would think Glenny - how well you point out the futility of war - for despite the number of years between the two wars depicted nothing has changed. Not the waste of life, the sorrow and tears, or even the bit of useless paper that honours the ultimate sacrifice. And still the war mongers ring the bell - and still men answer the call.

Congratulations - do you also get a Certificate to mount?

Cheers

Maureen

Well-done Glenny

I think it’s great the means we have these days keep photos in good nick and write poems and stories so our young people (Family and others) know that the good times we all enjoy had to be paid for and at times paid with ultimate sacrifice.

Dave.

Great sentiments, Glenny . . . it's fine to 'support the boys' but question the futility of it all. I'm sure 'the boys', even though they see it as their job and their duty, they too must quietly question the wars futility at times as well.

Congrats on the win.

Cheers, Marty

G'day (Our Mother Hen) Glenny,

Dear mentor and godmother (in the word smithing department) please add my congraulations to the rest of the bunch. I wish I could send you a garland of laurel for you to wear on your head. This competition is the NSW Championship, I believe. Yet another feather in your cap. Well deserved. You are always so generous with your time and knowledge and have given so many of us gentle guidance and advice when we started out, you deserve a rich reward. So well done and thank you.

You have said, both this poem, and 'Waltz in The Courtroom' (that took out the Bronze Swagman,) are poems you didn't think woud catch the judges eye, and yet they have taken first place. I think it shows you should always be true to yourself and write from the heart.

I know you have had a hectic time lately and we have missed your input on the site. I hope you may find a bit more time to share with us in the days ahead. Again I thank you for all the time you have devoted to helping me. It must have felt like banging your head (or mine) against a brick wall at the start. I hope I have begun to learn.

G/day Glenny,
Congratulations, you just never know what will catch the judges eye do you, It adds to the uncertainty of entering comps doesn't it. you enter a sure fire winner and it sinks without a trace, while another one you entered in the same comp. with little or no expectation catches that particular judges eye, in this case it doesn't surprise me, your poem has a touch of class about it as well.

Cheers Terry

Congrats sis Knew you could do it you always was betta at english than me. An keep up the good work beats working in the salt mines don't it! Just goes to show brains beats brawn everytime pity I ain't got either

GOOD Luck Glenny from Bill the old Battler

Congratulations Glenny. Like Zondrae said, hope to see your input on our little web site.
I hope things are settling OK for you.

Bonza job there Old Girl. Congratulations are well deserved ...

Congratulations on your award Glenny. Terrific poem.

Heather