Francis Duggan Poems

He must be over eighty his hair is silver gray
And the future's all that matter that's what old Tony say
His wife a bush Australian and his children Aussies too
And he's lived for more than fifty years in Land of Kangaroo.
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If I could only write one worthy rhyme
That well may last beyond my own life time
That one may read and to his friend then say
Now that seems good yes that seems quite okay.
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The magpie lark known to some as Pee wee
Builds nest of mud on fork or branch of tree
And in her cup shaped nest lined with dried grass she lay
Three to five eggs with brown spots through the gray.
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An evening in October the second month of Spring
And in the Town of Emerald the common mynas sing
And gold billed blackbird whistling on sunlit wattle tree
And whoever coined the phrase was right 'the best things in life are free'.
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He sleeps on park bench in city park his boots still on his feet
And overcoat that cover him to keep in body heat
And two apples for his supper does not seem too much to eat
For one of the city's homeless a poor child of the street.
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His army callous killers left a trail of blood and shame
Yet street signs on streets and avenues still bear the cruel man's name
And why he should be remembered I will never understand
As he did some cruel and bad things to the people of Ireland.
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I thought I might know local fame some literary renown
In old Duhallow far away and Millstreet my hometown
But my verses were not good enough even for local fame
And now I'm resigned to the fact that few know me by name.
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Northern New South Wales and South Queensland referred to as the sub tropics
If this be so the tropics not for me
For nine months of the year these places warm
Depends on how warm you like it to be.
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I love the sound of rhyming words like Dan will rhyme with Ann
And I could never be a poet just call me rhyming man
This modern verse too much for me it's way above my head
Though modern poets are now the rage and Rhyme is with the dead.
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He always hangs around us when we are having tea
Brian Evans supervisor for Belgrave S.E.C.
He take out 'Tweedles' orders the clock they must obey
They must start back to work on time it's the S.E.C. who pay
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