And did Clive Staple's sheep
head straight down the road
or vere off through an open gate
tied with tinsel and money boxes
when the shepherd was distracted
watching stars by night
Baa Baa Black sheep stepping it out
brandishing a banner
'THERE IS NO PLANET B'
looked behind and there was no-one there
Mary with her little lamb whose fleece was
white as snow gave it to Blake who served
it up as woolly pap for Sunday Service
and then lunch
Sheep may still safely graze
as long as they don't mind crunching on coal dust
'Sleeping is no mean art: for its sake one must stay awake all day.' Nietzsch
ReplyDeleteI was humming Jerusalem as I read this, being an ex WI-er, - but who is Clive Staple? (Sorry, I'm an ignorant old bat)
ReplyDeleteAnd as for staying awake all day - impossible: I fall asleep at the drop of a hat.
What is an ex Wl-er?A pre baby boomer? I would never call the founding member of the CCOB society an ignorant old bat. Clive Staples Lewis (CSLewis) wrote a bit about sheep and their relationship to the Shepherd.This poem is about mining companies rattling the money boxes in an attempt to seduce farmers into selling their land.
ReplyDeleteRall . . . WI is the "Womens' Institute." Its "anthem" - if that's the best word - is (was?) "Jerusalem." Perhaps you should Google "Womens' Institute." I wouldn't like to traduce or misrepresent it. My application for membership was rejected . . . .
ReplyDeleteArising from your poem (Do I detect real anger?) . . most of the world behaves as if there were a "Planet B"! And Uncle Sam imagines that some day he will colonise (oops . . sorry -invade) it. I love the word "colon-ise" i.e S**T all over them . . .
Lastly . . would have loved the Speedos. A man can't have too many . . .
Aha, why didn't I envisage CS Lewis? I found the Lion, the Witch, etc when reading to my children, and loved them to bits (literally).
ReplyDeleteAn ex-WI-er: WI= Women's Institute, theme song sung at every meeting, Jerusalem.
Whether on not we like it, money is a powerful persuader, Rall. I learned a little while ago that it costs our sheep farmers more to have the sheep shorn than they get for the fleeces. Simple arithmetic!
ReplyDeleteThis situation is different. The Liverpool Plains
ReplyDeleteare the 'food bowl' of NSW. It is fertile rich soil with unerground aquifers unaffected by drought and one of Australia's greatest natural resources.Santos the Chinese backed mining juggernaut wants to mine it. The NSW gov is broke
and the mining royalties will be squillions.Farmers have been offered 5 times more than their properties are worth and most have accepted but a few (Caroona Action Group) are trying to resist.In this case David is not winning against Goliath and if we lose and the Plains go Australia will have to import food from China in the future ( if there is a future for this planet)
principled souls the Caroona group
You think there might be some way to pre-sue (in lieu of pre-execution) anyone who despoils an aquifer? On behalf of those of the not-that-distant future.
ReplyDeleteHere, people were conned out of their land by people who bought the "mineral rights" as if they were going to magically spirit away deep seams of coal and leave the steep little farms untouched. Very poor, the people were. Now their grandchildren are poorer and the coal companies are lopping off the heads of the hills and dumping them and their heavy metal loads into the coves and valleys.
As if that weren't enough, they want to "lease" public lands and do the same.
God, that's awful, Rall. Could the United Nations or HM QEII do something to stop it?
ReplyDeleteNope. Caroona Action Group lost in the Supreme Court this year after a two year battle to prevent the mining co setting up survey rigs on their properties. In Australia all land purchased has a reservation to the Crown of mineral deposits which means the government owns
ReplyDeleteany minerals on your property. You own what's on top but not underneath.
Money makes
the world go around
the world go around
the world go around
at such a rate
that it will spin off its orbit
There was a swing to The Greens Party here in the recent elections.Not enough to make a huge difference.The younger voters are voting Green
because they are probably more concerned about having to live in a world without food, clean water and clean air.