When The Bush Rises

[Gary Harding]

Thanks Heather, OK I will take up your very kind invitation.... and give it a go! cross fingers.

I have always been a huge fan of the late Leonard Teale and his recitations. Also as there are of course quite a number of excellent Performance Poets in the ABPA, the following poem may be of some professional interest to them. I put down this piece, inspired by Leonard's resonant voice and superb diction, believing that he would have enjoyed reciting it. Starting softly, building up a little in volume and incisiveness until towards the end he is truly at a restrained crescendo? Anger. The final verse gently spoken in a warning tone. Sort of.. "getting inside a poem" to "work it" well. Performers would no doubt understand perfectly what I am describing.
It still needs some fine tuning but then I suggest that most poems you can always improve upon.... ad infinitum. (I have re-written parts even as I type it here!)

It is my very first poem-post, and so naturally I hope it makes the grade... is not too old-fashioned.. and I apologise in advance if it falls short.

When The Bush Rises.

Have you ever sensed the silence of the calm before a storm,
Have you felt the apprehension in your breast.
Did your heart just for a moment miss a beat or start to race,
When the lightning seemed like gunfire in the west.

I can see them in battalions all converging from the bush
As from south and north they rally to the call.
Farmers from the Darling river; wool and cattle men and cane,
And the Queensland boys are fiercest of them all.

Veterans of a thousand battles; hardened bush-campaigners they,
Men who daily suffer fire and drought and flood,
There is murder in their manner and no mercy in their soul,
And their knives will not be sheathed till they draw blood.

Like the roll of distant thunder, hoofbeats drum a steady roar,
For they have no fear of musketry or shell.
Death to them is unimportant, they are Soldiers of the Land,
And their final goal is victory or hell.

Now their blood is boiling over for the wrongs that they must right,
They are patriots who do not covet thanks.
Gathered now to fight oppression; bronzed and resolute and tough,
Not a single word is spoken in their ranks.

All are privates in this army with no regulations fast,
Be they called from drover's camp or shearing shed,
And unseen behind the riders troop the Anzacs in khaki,
Phantom diggers from the Legions of the Dead.

Still no uniform is sported by the bushmen, black or white.
Some are men who've tramped for years on cattle tracks.
They have paid their hard-won wages to the useless bureaucrats,
Who have plundered them with tax and tax and tax.

How the Capital will tremble when the mighty bushmen come,
Some whose fathers lie at peace on foreign turf.
Where the tyrants make a castle and declare a "government",
And the master seeks ascendance over serf.

Just reward for those who earn it; charity where it is due.
It is from this task the army will not swerve.
Where the parasites are feasting, they will feed on mutton stew,
And the ruling public servants made to serve.

And the lying politicians who show treason to the Crown,
While Australia to the foreigners is sold
Will be marked for special treatment by the miners of the west.
They have lined their greedy pockets with their gold.

Then no longer will the stone-fruit on the trees be left to rot,
While the countryside for men has been devoid.
You will see a giant muster of the dole-dependent mob,
And the Unemployed will find themselves Employed!

— There are fifty thousand coming with a common purpose grim,
For a nasty job that none will seek to shirk,
And the sun will set one evening on a dreadful battleground,
When the stern-faced Bush Brigades have done their work.


cheers, Gary

[manfredvijars]

Didn't 'fall short' at all Gary. Love the well written sentiments ...

Well done! (AND Welcome) ...

[william williams]

very good Garry I enjoyed reading I would love to have a crack at reciting it And I enjoyed Lenard Teale As I had meet him at the old Embers in Toorak many years ago when he was invited to join us at our table.

Bill Williams the old battler

[Gary Harding]

You are more than welcome to have a go at reciting it Bill. That would be great fun and I am sure you would do a great job of it! It is certainly there to be freely used, for sure... go for it.

Wow! What a privilege to actually meet Leonard Teale! You are so fortunate. I saw him at his one-man theatre show where he presented as Henry Lawson. Also saw him in Homicide on TV of course ... no reciting there though!

[Heather]

My goodness Gary, what on earth were you frightened of?

In between work and work at the moment but will have another read when I get some spare time. Glad you took the plunge. Welcome to the mob!

Heather

PS There is a section somewhere, where you can write a little about yourself - where you live, when you started writing etc etc. Tell us a bit about yourself Gary...please.

[Maureen K Clifford]

WOW - Mate that is bloody good - I love it and totally endorse your sentiments. I reckon Bob Katter would love it as well could see that as a great performance piece for someone with the fire in their blood about how our country farmers are being treated. Well done..yes indeed. Very well done.

Some ? marks needed in that first stanza as 3 questions being asked and should the the word perhaps be they're/are at the end of this line

Veterans of a thousand battles; hardened bush-campaigners they're /are
men who daily suffer fire and drought and flood,

Or maybe it needs a full stop after they. I'm not sure but that bit doesn't sound right to me - where's Neville

Cheers

Maureen

[Gary Harding]

Thanks Maureen,

Well it is only ever a bit of tongue in cheek contemporary fun. Not a "serious" poem really. A message? Maybe... but it is the poetic technique that counts more than the subject I think! I am more likely to make fun of any crusader for a Cause than be one... which is a bit "incorrect" I guess.

Perhaps think of Lawson and Rise Ye, Rise Ye where he makes fun of the labour agitator (which won him no friends) and My Army, O My Army.... well this is 2013 and why should not The Bush march on Canberra?? Seems like a good idea to me.. but I fear it will stay that way. A good Idea. Oh well....

You know I would boldly march on Canberra myself!!! .... but there is something good on television tonight so I can't... maybe later on...?

[Neville Briggs]

That construction Maureen with they at the end of the phrase has been an accepted arrangement in poetry, but mainly archaic, not usual in modern use.
In the style of writing used here by Gary, it probably fits in.

You will find it in the old church hymns ( for those who are familiar with such things ) for example in the well known hymn, Onward Christian Soldiers ,you find the line " We are not divided, all one body we. " ....same sort of thing.
David Campbell was an English teacher he may be able to give the correct terminology here.


I think Gary, that one of our bush poets has had a go at the protest demo. Someone might put me right , but I recollect that our own Frank Daniel once tipped a truck load of wheat onto the steps of Parliament House in Canberra in protest over the plight of wheat farmers.
He got arrested and eventually fined for littering, if I have the story correct.

[Heather]

There's a rebel in every poet.

[Heather]

.....and if there isn't, there should be.....