Frank

[Stephen Whiteside]

I thought I'd post this poem, which won Second Prize in the Open category at the Toolangi CJ Dennis Poetry Competition last weekend.

Frank

© Stephen Whiteside 23.03.2011

The apple of his parents’ eyes, he headed off to War.

He felt obliged to do his bit to even up the score.
A married man, he could have stayed. There was no expectation,
Yet still he felt he must perform his duty for the nation.

His parents lived in Hawthorn, and they lived the city life.
(Garry was the husband, and Roberta was his wife.)
They kept a sweet weekender, though, to top them up with gas,
A place they christened ‘Sunnyside’ in southern Sassafras.

Working for the Tramways, Garry had a host of chances
To place his hands on tramcars now retired from their dances.
He towed them to his paddocks where they settled in the loam,
And artists came, and loved them as a home away from home.

Frank took an office possy, but his heart just wasn’t in it.
It seemed to last an hour when it had only been a minute.
He chucked away his suit and tie. He headed for the hills,
And found, just like his parents, that it chased away his ills.

He took himself a berry farm. He found himself a bride,
And there they lived together down the road from ‘Sunnyside’.
The life was quite demanding. Almost every second night
He must take the fruit to market, and be there at morning light.

A writer name of Dennis in a tramcar took up camp.
Good comradeship and cheer relieved Toolangi’s cold and damp.
Although a decade older, he became good friends with Frank,
A happy circumstance that we have reason now to thank,

For Dennis wrote a novel - wrote a novel all in rhyme
About a chap named ‘Bill’ whose early life was steeped in crime,
But he took the ‘straight and narrow’ and became a real charmer
When he married, and became, like Frank, an honest berry farmer.

So Bill was Frank, or Frank was Bill - in part, at least, that’s true.
Then Frank went off to join the War, and vanished in the blue -
Killed at Mont St. Quentin in that desp’rate, deadly game.
For Garry and Roberta life could never be the same.

Gone now was the gaiety and joy of ‘Sunnyside’,
Replaced, instead, by misery, and sorrow’s sobbing tide;
Gone now Den’s bright banjo, gone the poetry and song.
Just stood two silent, aching hearts, where once a noisy throng.

Success arrived for Dennis, fame and fortune, adulation,
And through his words he fast became a hero of the nation.
If ever, though, you read the ‘Bloke’, leave something in your tank
For Garry and Roberta, and their dear beloved Frank.

[Heather]

Congratulations Stephen.

Heather

[Stephen Whiteside]

Thanks, Heather. It's a shame you weren't able to hang around for the Sunday. We had a lot of fun. (At least I did!)

[Heather]

Maybe next year. Sounds like it was fun. Were there many there on the Sunday?

[Stephen Whiteside]

Well, I couldn't say it was a big crowd, no, but it definitely made up in quality for lacked in quantity! The morning poetry show was a quiet affair. I think we had seven poets - may have been one or two more - and went for about an hour, but I felt the whole session went really well. There were some great performances, and everybody there really enjoyed themselves, I think. We also had a couple of further audience members tucked around the corner who expressed their appreciation afterwards.

A number of people arrived for lunch, with the specific intention of attending the afternoon show, which was heartening. I put out ten chairs for people to sit on and then carry with them as we made our way slowly around the gardens. All of them were used, and there may have been a couple more just standing. I think we might have collected a few people as we proceeded. Altogether, the moving show lasted about 90 minutes and, as I say, numbers tended to increase if anything. I don't think we lost anybody, which was a good sign. We were very lucky with the weather, though - overcast but warm, with no wind. Rain or direct sunlight would have cruelled our pitch pretty quickly, I suspect.

[Terry]

Congratulations Stephen,
I can see you really know the ins and out of of C.J. Dennis.
I have picked up the odd snippet about him but that's all.

Terry

[Stephen Whiteside]

Thanks, Terry. Learning all the time - but it's a great journey!

[Maureen K Clifford]

One that you helped come to life for the people that were there...Love the poem and congrats on a 2nd...well done

Cheers

Maureen

[Stephen Whiteside]

Yes. Thanks, Maureen.