Francis Duggan Poems

The faint fluting of a crimson rosella and a butcherbird he pipes then all is still
And a gray fog in the chill of early morning surrounds the high gum trees of One Tree Hill
The houses are dwarfed by the tall trees around them and why
they call it One Tree Hill I wonder why?
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I've had a good innings time has left me gray
The future belongs to the youth of today
Allow them their passion for time hurries by
As life is for to live well and for to enjoy,
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Though bare are the hedgerows and few songbirds sing
In far Northern Lands 'tis the first day of Spring
A blanket of fog envelopes the old hill
And the flood is bank high in the river and rill.
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They rest in peace forever the men who built this Town
But their names not on a memorial wall to honour their renown
And not one mention of them when we honour the dead
We glorify monarchs and presidents but nothing of them said.
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On the wooded hill overlooking the old town the home of wallaby and roo
In the gloam of a Winter's evening the calls of the yellow tail black cockatoo
Echoes in the darkening valley as they fly off to roost for the night
To see them shredding pine cones for their dark seeds on the pine trees one can say is an often seen sight
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They struggle through life as they battle with stress
Those born and raised at an unfashionable address
It is a long hike to success and renown
For those who are born at the poor side of town.
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The pleasant sounds of Nature are everywhere near me
On the sunlit beach at morning the lapping of the sea
And in the quiet Parkland the song of the pee wee
And the wattlebirds are calling on the flowering banksia tree,
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I'll tell you about a great hurler he hurled his way into renown
And his fame spread distant from Cork City through many a village and town
He inspired the poets to write of him and the song writers his praises did sing
And he was the hurler of all Seasons the one and only Christy Ring.
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What happened to the Tinanmen Tank Man perhaps only the Chinese Authorities do know
The brave one who stared down the tanks of a powerful Nation in time back two decades ago
He stood on the pathway of the huge tanks dancing and swinging his shopping bags above his head
In his eyes the look of sheer courage against all odds he did not show any dread.
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In the Human World it does not belong
We do not need racism since it is so wrong
The racists in their ways are so very small
To have them amongst us a blight on us all.
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