THIS WEEK'S WORDS come from "Waltzing Matilda" by A.B. "Banjo" Paterson: waltzing, drink, catch, billabong, shade, glee, alive, ghost, tree, shoved, pass, come
it came to pass
these convict sheilas
told the powers that be
with glee
to shove it
dinky di
in no uncertain terms
they laid the foundations for irreverence
disrespect for authority and larrikinism
the hallmark once of being a true bluie aussie
drinking billy tea in the shade of an old gum tree
by a billabong is a fantasy kept alive in the bush ballads
the ghost of early colonial days
most aussies live in cities on the coast
have never been out past the black stump
only know billabong as a surfwear label
if any country blokes catch up with this galah
for his woeful rendition of waltzing matilda
the silly bugga might find
he will be feeling a bit crook for a few days
a poem is a sad song
dissolves a heart
into a flood of tears
a poem is a kookaburra
it makes you laugh
a poem grabs you by the ears
shouts at you
raises your blood pressure
a poem can make you fall in love
with someone you have not met
a poem unlocks your mind
lies on your pillow at night
whispers the truth
our genius
smarty pants billy born in april
can achieve all of this together
in one poem
